One Thing in Common
by A-Dream's-Nightmare
Summary: The life of a missing-nin isn't easy. Add the comings of war and it's even more so. Yet Sakura stands tall with her ragtag family at her side, child, samurai, and even Uchiha Itachi included. A story of love, hope, despair, and finding who you really are inside emerges from the dark tale of war and death.
1. The Murder

**One Thing in Common Redone (because I hate the original, so for all the new readers, enjoy this better version and be glad you weren't exposed that piece of trash I called a first chapter)**

"Where's Naruto?" she asked quietly, knowing without a doubt that her beloved teammate was completely unaware of her current predicament. What had started out as any other day, sunny and bright, was soon beginning to darken with the threat of her future, and she wished for one last chance to make things right again. "I want him to be here," she reiterated, much to the chagrin of the three people before her. The Hokage, Tsunade, looked at her with sympathetic eyes, wishing she could also make things right again, but knowing there was no other way. While the two Council Elders were beyond annoyed and impatient, obvious in their dislike of Haruno Sakura.

"It's better to leave Naruto out of this," Tsunade said quietly," Konoha will need Naruto in the near future."

Sakura bit her bottom lip; she wanted to scream. She wanted to stomp her feet about, bring this building down with her, and make them _see_ that what they were doing was _wrong_. This was not the answer. It never could be, but they were too set in their ways to see that. Her verdant eyes glanced at the Elders; this had to have been their idea, their mission; their brilliant plan to save Konoha from the deceit of Danzou.

"So that makes it alright to turn me into a martyr?" she responded back just as quietly. She watched as Tsunade, her _trusted_ shishou, grew pale and her eyes widened. Good, then maybe she'll feel terrible about what she was doing; maybe she'll feel a fraction of the pain Sakura would soon go through. It was petty, but Sakura truly felt betrayed and wished for her former-shishou to feel an ounce of her pain.

But it was not Tsunade who responded to Sakura's quiet statement, but Homura," This is a necessary task we are demanded and it is for the good of the village. We are on the brink of war, Haruno-san, and Konohagakure cannot risk the chances of civil war."

Koharu then spoke up, a sneer evident on her face," You are a shinobi of Konoha; do not let your emotions control you. Accept your fate and do your duty to this village."

_'My duty to the village, or to __**you**__?' _the words were bitter in Sakura's mind, but she didn't dare speak them out loud. Instead, she bit her lip once more, going over the facts. In the past month, it had become clearer and clearer that Danzou was vying for the position of Hokage, still angered that he had been overlooked as the Godaime Hokage. As a primary investigator of ROOT, Sakura had discovered that he had been gathering quite a bit of allies and followers who believed in his ideals, in a truly militaristic Konoha. Only recently, had she uncovered a plan to launch an all scale coup d'état on the government of Konoha, pitching all of ROOT, its allies, and a number of village clans against the remainder of Konoha.

It would only end in bloodshed, and give Akatsuki the chance it wanted to bring Konoha to its knees once and for all.

Yet, couldn't there be better ways to deal with coup d'état's? Yes, she understood that to execute Danzou publicly would only incite his followers, and civil war would break out regardless. Konoha could not be involved with his death, but if a lone figure, an independent party were to take out Danzou, then the finger of blame could be diverted to one direction, and Konoha would be left alone to recover from his treachery.

But why did it have to be her? Why would she have to be the one to assassinate Danzou and destroy ROOT, all alone? After this mission, she would never see her beloved village again; she would never again be accepted and be classified as a dangerous missing-nin; a criminal. What would Naruto and her friends think? Would they hate her? Would they think her no better than Sasuke, to betray her friends and village for a petty thing like revenge? Who, if anyone, would try to bring her back safe and sound? Who would try to bring her back dead?

"I'm sorry, Sakura," Tsunade hung her head in her hands, having no courage to face her student eye to eye. Sakura frowned, refusing to accept such an apology; it meant nothing at this point. Tsunade continued," It has to be you. You're the only one with enough credible motivation. I can't stop this from happening."

_'Yes, you can,'_ Sakura thought, but Inner added sorrowfully,_**' You just won't stand up for us.'**_

…

Not a single part of him could understand why such a mission had been dumped on them for no reason or warning. For so long, despite his arguing, they'd been stuck with so many D and C rank missions. But now they were going on a B-rank? And by 'they', he meant he, Sai, and Kakashi. What bothered Naruto the most was the fact that Sakura wasn't coming with.

"You know the hospital needs me, Naruto-kun," she tried to reassure him, giving him one of her bright smiles.

That smile never reached her eyes. And that broke him possibly even more.

"You'd better be there when we get back," Kakashi said good-naturedly, tousling her hair," Someone needs to patch these two knuckleheads up."

Instead of swatting his hand away like she usually did, Sakura just smiled up at him. Noticing the difference, Kakashi narrowed his eye and gave her a questioning look, but said nothing. He figured he'd interrogate her about it when he got back.

"Alright, let's go then," Sai spoke up, never really understanding why they always spent so long on goodbyes. It made no sense, since they always saw each other as soon as they got back. As he was picking up his heavy pack, he found himself being hugged by Sakura," Hey!" He froze stiff, unsure how to react. Was this another trick of hers? Was she going to punch him now?

Just as quickly as she had come, she let go of the confused boy. Next, she went over to Kakashi and received a bear hug from her beloved sensei. And finally, Naruto…

"Sakura, I know something is wrong," he whispered in her ear as he enveloped her in a great hug. A pang hit Sakura's heart when she realized he left out the 'chan'. Out of everyone, she had been hoping Naruto would be the last to realize something was wrong. She wanted him to be in his own happy little world for a little while longer before she destroyed it.

She held him just a little bit tighter for a few seconds, never wanting to let go. She wanted to stay with her team forever, safely locked away in their loving arms. She wanted to always stand beside Naruto and Sai; go on missions with them; forever be the family of Team 7. She wanted Sasuke back and the team complete. She wanted Danzo gone and the village at peace, with her in it.

She wanted a lot of things.

She had to step back from Naruto before she started crying. "I'll see you when you get back," she faked another smile, even though she knew he could tell it wasn't real.

And that was the last she saw of her team. The day her world came crashing down all around her.

…

Never before had running through the trees of the Land of Fire been so hard. But never before had she been running alone. Though a part of her would forever hate Tsunade for doing this to her, she was grateful that her team was sent on another mission outside of the Land of Fire, so they wouldn't have to witness her downfall.

She was alone now. That realization alone was almost enough to cripple her, to hit her in the gut and send her tumbling to the ground, but she had to keep going, to keep moving. Soon, she would be just another face in the Bingo Book; hunted down for a monetary reward, for revenge; she would never be safe again.

But…

Konoha was _safe_. And that's what mattered. Danzou was dead. ROOT was gone, even if they tried keeping it with a successor and the name. But it wouldn't be like it was before. The true mastermind, Danzou, was gone and so were his plans.

…

For three days, she ran. She ran for her life and she ran from the knowledge of what she'd done. For over two days, she could feel the ROOT captain, Doro, right on her heels. It wasn't until the third day that she lost him completely. At the end of the third day, she reached her limit. Exhausted, her foot slipped on a wet branch and she plummeted towards the ground. The last thing she remembered was distinctly hitting the hard ground.

…

It was raining when Sakura opened her eyes. The first thing she was aware of was she was face-down on the ground with a sharp pain in her stomach. The second thing, ROOT hasn't killed her yet. Slowly, she raised her head and saw a forest around her, cloaked in mist.

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself, not even recognizing the surrounding area. There was no answer, but then again, she wasn't expecting one. The rain fell mercilessly, drowning out all other sounds. If she was in another world, then it was a peaceful one, and she liked it.

All at once, her shinobi instincts kicked in, dawning reality upon her. She needed shelter and food. Standing alone was excruciating; her muscles screamed bloody murder and twice she fell back to the ground. But she kept telling herself that she was a shinobi, and shinobi are strong. She pushed herself to her limit and forced herself to be strong. Once she was actually standing alone on her two feet, a feeling of success overwhelmed her. Now strengthened by her adrenaline, she chose a random direction and began walking.

…

When Sakura came upon the gorge, the damage amazed her. The area was completely destroyed. On both sides, black fire burned ceaselessly, unquenched by the rain. Lightning cracked through the sky and striked the far side of the canyon. The sound was unimaginable and the falling rocks sounded like rolling distant thunder after the initial thunder almost destroyed her eardrums.

Her eyes wandered downward and she spotted three figures below from where she stood. From her height, she couldn't tell who they were, so she decided to get closer. With her trademark grace, she took a single step forward…and dropped like a rock off the edge of the cliff.

As she plummeted, she felt the wind whistle past her and relished in the feeling. Temporarily, she forgot her pain and sorrow as she let the air blanket her. Like she had practiced it a hundred times before, she gathered chakra in her feet and landed as gracefully as a cat.

"Rather impressive entrance, I must say," a light voice spoke, "Although your chakra reserves are no doubt depleted fully now."

Sakura looked up and into the yellow eyes of Zetsu. Of course she had no idea who Zetsu was, or even that Akatsuki had a ficus for a member, but she'd know that cloak anywhere.

"Akatsuki," she growled, seriously reprimanding herself for giving into her curiosity.

"Correct," he spoke again, but it confused her because this time his voice was much deeper. Her eyes glanced over to the side quickly at who she supposed were his latest victims. Instead, she did a double-take. For there, lying side by side, were none other than Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke…

Not caring for manners, she gaped openmouthed at them. The way they were lying so still, with somewhat peaceful expressions, she feared they might be dead.

"**Only Itachi is dead**," the deep voice of Zetsu spoke, soon followed by his light voice," Sasuke will live with few complications." Relief swept over Sakura and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She stared at Itachi in disbelief. So Sasuke finally managed to kill him; he finally achieved his goal; could finally come home…

Still somewhat in shock, she fell to her knees at Sasuke's side. Tentatively, she reached out with a shaking hand…

Zest's black hand shot out and caught her wrist in a death-grip," **Don't try anything funny**." She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"I just want to heal him," she cried," I don't have much chakra to do anything else." He glared at her with his yellow eyes for a moment, but within a few seconds, his light voice spoke.

"You don't even have enough chakra to heal yourself." The white half of his face appeared to study her for a few more minutes," So I'll lend you some. I can't have him dying on me." The next second, Sakura felt the familiar sensation of another's chakra entering her system. His chakra was most peculiar, with dark chakra swirling with light.

'He truly is two halves put together,' she thought.

Once she acquired a substantial amount of chakra, her own injuries quickly healed and she turned once more to Sasuke.

"You're his teammate, aren't you?" Zetsu spoke up as her glowing green hands healed Sasuke's body. Her face showed no emotion at his words, but she could still feel her heart breaking all over again," I was." She didn't like admitting she knew Sasuke and her reaction showed that she was rather close to him, but Zetsu no doubt already know exactly who she was.

"Haruno Sakura, right?" …yep, he knew…

She remained silent, a fact Zetsu appreciated. Silence was greatly valued in the Akatsuki, which is why Kisame and Deidara were so disliked.

When Sakura was finished, she fell backward to sit down. Now she sat between the two brothers, her lower back barely brushing Itachi's sleeve. She gazed at Sasuke, wishing he would open his eyes, but he didn't.

"So are of some use, after all," Zetsu mused in his light voice. Then his dark voice added," **Heard you were a famous healer**."

Sakura's mouth felt dry as she retorted," Good to know that even murderers know my reputation."

The dark side of his face laughed loudly. It was a cold laugh, one that was loud and deep, but made her go rigid with fear. Once he was done laughing, which felt like forever to Sakura, he knelt on the other side of Sasuke.

"**Well done, I must say**," he glanced at Sasuke and saw not one scar. That was good; a face such as his would not take scars lightly. Then his gaze turned on Sakura and she scooted back away from him. She felt Itachi's arm against her back and she jumped, but kept her eyes on Zetsu. A live Zetsu was much more dangerous than a dead Itachi…

"You could join Akatsuki," Zetsu's light voice said softly," You'd be revered as both a warrior and a medic. You could be near Sasuke; it's what you wanted, right? Who knows, you might even end up on the same team as him."

The offer tempted Sakura, so much that she almost shouted yes right away. He was right; she could be near Sasuke; maybe even convince him to return to Konoha.

'_I'm a missing-nin now_,' she thought miserable, reminding herself,' _Where else would I have to go?_.' Sorrowful, she gazed down at Sasuke's peaceful face. It almost made her smile, seeing his face so peaceful. She hasn't seen it like this since their Genin days. But then she looked at Zetsu's red and black cloak. She remembered when just seeing those colors would strike fear into the hearts of many.

**_'NO WAY_!' **her annoying inner self suddenly popped out of the blue,**' _We're not murderers. We may be missing-nin, but we'll still find our own new ninja code!'_**

"I'm not a murderer," Sakura raised her head and tried to look strong. She faced Zetsu's gaze and unwillingly, the image of Danzou's face replaced his. She blinked away the image and it was replaced by Zetsu smiling, as if amused by her declaration.

"I've seen that look a hundred times before," he grinned," I know you will never change your mind."

"Oh well then, it's not too big a loss," he shrugged," I should be leaving then. Pein wanted me to retrieve this brat, not talk to one."

Ignoring his comment, she glanced behind her at the eldest brother," But what about Itachi?" Zetsu looked at the deceased Uchiha and shook his head," He's dead and even his mangekyou is gone; he passed everything onto Sasuke."

"All I need is his ring," he added," Just hand it over to me." She looked over her shoulder and spotted the red ring on Itachi's hand. Biting her lip, she reached over and quickly pulled it off. She wasn't sure, but she could've sworn his hand was still warm to the touch. Shaking it off, she assumed it was because he hadn't been dead for very long yet.

"Why the ring?" she quizzed, flicking the ring in Zetsu's direction. He deftly caught it and grinned his wicked grin," Because it now belongs to Sasuke."

Sakura stared at her former teammate and love, wishing she could stay with him. But she refused to be Akatsuki and she also doubted he would even want her by his side. It was just Sasuke's way to do everything alone, without bonds or friendships. Even with Itachi dead and gone, years of anti-sociality couldn't be undone overnight.

After Zetsu pocketed the ring, Sakura noticed the white side of his face gazing at Itachi. She wasn't sure if she should believe it, but she was fairly certain there was sympathy in his eyes.

"He didn't fight Sasuke at full power," he said in his light voice," He was obviously injured before his fight with his little brother, yet he still faced him head-on."

"He wanted to die…And he wanted Sasuke to be the one to kill him…"

Before Sakura could even drop her jaw, he was absorbed into the ground, along with Sasuke. In a matter of seconds, it was as if they had never even been there.

Now it was just her and the dead body of Uchiha Itachi. Yeah, sounds like loads of fun…

"Is he gone?"

No exaggeration, Sakura jumped three feet into the air with a terrified shriek, her eyes bugged out. Once turned around and five good feet away, she was shocked to see Itachi's eyes half open and looking at her. He didn't look angry, placid, or curious, or anything. He just looked tired as he stared at her. Those dark eyes of his held no life and as she stared into them now, she saw only a soul tired and finally at the end of a long journey. She also noticed he was breathing extremely shallowly, with short quick breaths.

"But…you're supposed to be dead," she gaped with wide eyes, returning to kneel at his side," That plant guy even said so."

"Zetsu," he corrected," And as a medic…nin, you should know…it's easy to…fake a…death." He was having extreme difficulty in speaking and breathing. He kept wincing, as if every breath was painful. Sakura mentally agreed, conjuring up the memory of Haku and Zabuza.

"But…why?" she asked, but he didn't answer. Instead, he seemed to be concentrating on breathing. After a few seconds, he began coughing violently.

Out of habit only, Sakura's hand shot out and healing chakra formed. But it flickered like a candle in the rain before going out completely.

Even amid his coughing, Itachi noticed her actions. "Cloak," he said in between violent shudders," Soldier pills." Sakura had only a few seconds to come to a decision. On one hand, he was a missing-nin, a traitor to Konoha, and even an Akatsuki. To heal him would be betraying the village she loved so much. Yet on the other hand, she was already a missing-nin. And if Itachi went to such great lengths to fake his own death, it was clear he wished to leave Akatsuki permanently. And as a medic-nin, she took a vow to help anyone she could.

Making her choice, she decided she would have to live with the consequences. As she reached out and unbuttoned his soaking cloak, she realized how degrading he must feel right now. As an Uchiha, posture was everything. To have his very life in the hands of his enemy showed weakness, something she's grown to learn that every Uchiha hates. But even he should realize his incredible luck to have her, a legendary medic-nin, stumble across him and his dying brother.

His cloak had an inside pocket, which contained a small bag of two soldier pills. She popped one in her mouth and felt her chakra flare to life. Ready to heal, she pulled back his shirt and saw his entire chest covered in blood. If he didn't have at _least_ one broken rib, then she was the Kazekage of Suna. Which she wasn't.

Once again with chakra filled hands, she bent over an Uchiha again, and did what she did best.

Save a life.

_And so she burns like a candle in the dark. _

…

Sunlight instead of raindrops was now hitting Sakura's face. Even before she opened her eyes, she could feel the warmth embrace her and could smell the morning air. The air around her smelled fresh, cleansed by the rain. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the side of the cave wall where she had taken shelter the night before. The ground was ridiculously uncomfortable underneath her, so she twisted her body in attempt to find a softer spot to lay on. After a few unsuccessful tries, she gave up and sat upright.

Itachi had moved in the middle of the night. Instead of lying flat on his back where Sakura had situated him, he was now sitting up and leaning against the wall. His breathing was much easier today and could even take a full breath without a rib poking a precious lung. His right arm was propped up on his right knee, while his other leg was fully extended. He had been looking at something in his left hand, but glanced up at Sakura when she stirred awake.

He had heard Zetsu call her Haruno Sakura, his brother's ex-teammate. He's heard of her as a skilled medic-nin and Tsunade's apprentice. But he never knew she had in fact been on the same team as his foolish brother. Whenever he fought his brother, he had always been near Uzumaki Naruto or his new Hebi team. This pink-haired kunoichi had never been in sight. Although, he supposed, as a medic-nin, she most likely always stayed in Konoha, where it was safe. No doubt having two strong male teammates while appearing fragile and as important as a medic-nin, his brother and the Kyuubi most likely stifled her by being too protective. He could just see the two of them keeping her away from any dangerous situations, as many male shinobi do to their female teammates.

Wait…he _has_ seen her before. Back when Deidara captured the raccoon demon, Shukaku. A team of Konoha shinobi had come after him, including Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi. Now that he thought about it, she had been there, shouting at the Kyuubi how to break out of a genjutsu. He also remembered she was the only one he left untouched. Presently, he found it strange that she came on such a dangerous mission. One to infiltrate Akatsuki of all things! Did his brother's betrayal to their village lessen the protection put over the young medic-nin?

"Give it back," her voice broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see her standing over him, with her hand extended. He glanced back at the hitai-ate in his left hand before dropping it in her waiting palm.

"You threw it on the ground last night," he commented, remembering how she had dragged him into this cave, tore off her own hitai-ate, then passed out on the ground.

"What I do is none of your damn business," she growled and jammed the precious symbol into her pack. He narrowed his eyes at her, but his voice was calm.

"Do you consider yourself a traitor because you healed a missing-nin?"

Again, she snarled at him," I said it was none of your goddamn business." She huffed in anger and stomped over to the other side of the cave. He smirked, knowing what he said upset her. "I should've left you for dead," she hissed," I should've spared the world one more uptight, arrogant Uchiha. I should've gone with that plant-guy and Sasuke to Akatsuki. I should've-"

"No," he interrupted just a little bit too loudly," If you went to Akatsuki, you've would've been killed or forced to never leave the base and heal every single member everyday without reprieve or rest. I doubt my brother would've even ever known you were inside the very same building."

She glared at him, but this time her eyes were just a little bit softer," Since when do you care for my well-being?"

He shrugged and turned his head," I owe you. And I always pay my debts." She opened her mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, she slung her pack back over her shoulder after pulling a small box out of it.

"This is some medicine," she explained and placed the box on the ground beside him," You owe me nothing and I'd rather not accept anything from you. Good-bye, Uchiha." And with that, she walked out into the sunshine and disappeared.


	2. The Village

The world appeared to stop spinning; time stood still; chaos turned into silence…

"S-Sakura…" Uzumaki Naruto whimpered, too shocked and upset to yell or scream. Tsunade watched the boy fall apart before her and wanted to cry herself. He had taken the news with blank eyes and a quivering lip, while inside; he was being torn to shreds. Kakashi stood behind Naruto, his one eye opened wide and his book lied forgotten on the floor. Sai still stood in the doorway, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. One could only guess at what he was thinking. Perhaps he was remembering that just four days ago, he had assumed they would meet Sakura again and Team 7 would continue like it always did. Perhaps that's what they all were thinking…

"So Sakura…charged…ran away…" Kakashi stumbled over his words, trying to compute these new and terrifying facts in his head.

"Haruno Sakura has been charged with the assassination of ROOT founder and leader, Danzou, the murder of five ROOT operatives, fleeing Konoha and purposefully injuring three Konoha Jounin and a Hunter-nin," the female Council Elder repeated what she had said a few moments ago. The two Council Members stood behind Tsunade and her desk, watching the remainder of Team 7 with apathetic eyes.

"She wouldn't…"Naruto mumbled," Sakura-chan couldn't…" He raised his head and yelled defiantly at the Elder," Sakura isn't a murderer!" (His lack of the 'chan' in Sakura's name was forgotten).

She only looked at the heartbroken boy with an impassive expression. "We have substantial evidence against her, including eye witnesses, security devices, and video," she spoke," Face the truth, Uzumaki Naruto. _Both_ of your teammates are now missing-nin's and are to be executed should either be captured or return to Konoha."

Naruto stared at the Elder with a quivering lip and tears building up in his cerulean eyes. Not only did she throw the truth of Sakura's fate into his face, but she also brought up Sasuke, his best friend. What she said was painfully true. Both Sasuke and Sakura were now traitors to the village he loved so much. He was the only member left of Team 7. He was left completely and utterly alone, without his 'family'. His mouth opened, but instead of speaking, he turned on his heel and ran out of the Hokage office. With tears falling from his eyes, he ran from Konoha in a desperate search for the only teammate he had left. The teammate he loved like a sister; the teammate he had promised to protect for the rest of his life; the teammate he vowed to return Sasuke for; the teammate he couldn't live without. The ninja sent to bring him back safely only stood outside the Konoha gates, for they wished to run as well. They wished they could run from the pain in their hearts as well. Rock Lee…Nara Shikamaru…Yamanaka Ino…Sai…Hatake Kakashi…

* * *

This tiny village was quiet and unaffected by the larger villages and politics. It was here in this little nameless town Sakura hoped to forget her current predicament and start her life all over again. She hoped to settle down here where no one knew of Haruno Sakura and shinobi and travelers never came here. Here she could easily become Yuki Sakura, the new doctor.

"A small cottage for sale, eh?" the local storekeeper, identified as Ryuga, repeated and rubbed his chin.

"I have money to pay for it," Sakura added," I just wish to retire from being a traveling healer and settle down in a nice quiet town."

"Well, I do believe there is an old cottage on the north side of town," he mused," But it's way back deep in the woods and mighty tiny. It's abandoned and I'm sure no one would care if you moved in."

"Perfect," Sakura's eyes sparkled and she smiled for the first time in days," Now I would like to buy some seeds."

The cottage was tiny, just as the old man had said, but was hidden deep in the woods. She loved the seclusion; it gave her privacy to continue her shinobi training. It only took her a day and five clones to clean up the cottage and decorate it to her liking. On her many trips to town, she got to know the villagers, who in turn learned about her. Of course, being a tiny town, news of her being a traveling doctor spread like wildfire. She became well known with the five village children, who asked her questions endlessly.

Over the next few months, Sakura was welcomed graciously into their tiny community. A path was worn down from her cottage to town as people came to her with illnesses and injuries. Most were common colds or simple cuts and bruises. They were so minor; she never had to use her chakra to heal and mostly relied on herbs and bandages.

To keep her training secret, she trained in a small clearing near her new home. A home-fashioned dummy was substituted for a sparring partner, but she made due. She missed Konoha and her medical books and her friends most of all, but every morning and night, she would remind herself that she was a shinobi. Shinobi never show or admit their true emotions.

* * *

Such a place surprised him. At first, he never believed a nameless town could exist, or be so cut off from the rest of the world. But the traveler was telling the truth. He heard the story of how a little boy had come running out of the forest nine years ago, chasing a doe with his oversized puppy. The townsfolk were surprised and no one knew who the lad belonged to. When asked where he came from, he simply turned tail and ran right back into the woods. A lone woodsman went after him and followed him for two days. Some said the boy didn't really exist, or was a forest spirit. They believed he was only leading the woodsman to the center of the forest. And in truth, he really did, as ten days later; the man came back, telling of a village of forest people in the heart of the woods. But no one believed his story and the mysterious village was forgotten.

"How do I find this village?" he asked the traveler before the old man left town again.

"You'll have to ask the Woodsman," the traveler replied," Only he knows where it is. You'll find him either in the bar or his cottage in the woods."

He thanked the traveler and left to find the town bar. Upon entering, he questioned the bartender, who pointed towards a dimly lit corner. Sitting all alone was the Woodsman. He was big, with a well-trimmed beard and merry brown eyes. He was currently humming merrily to himself, his hand firmly on a bottle of sake.

"Are you the Woodsman?" he asked, standing before the big man. The Woodsman looked up at him and grinned, showing all of his teeth.

"That would be me," he said in a loud voice," Who wants to know?"

"Someone who wants to find the forest village."

The Woodsman suddenly sobered up and set the bottle of sake down on the table. Regarding the young man with wary eyes, he spoke in a low voice," There's no treasure to be found there, boy. They're a peaceful people with nothing but each other. I don't like all this interest all of a sudden. You're the second one to ask me about it in six months."

The young man smirked inwardly; so this man was never drunk the entire time. It was merely all an act. "I don't intend to cause trouble," the younger man reassured.

"Well it doesn't exist."

"You just told me they were a peaceful people. If it truly didn't exist, then you wouldn't have said that."

"Grrrr! Darn smart alec. Why do you want to find it so badly?"

"…Because I wish to disappear from the world."

* * *

"Doc!" a young voice yelled happily. A young girl around the age of nine came leaping out of the tangled wood, streaming ribbons behind her.

"Look at what Sora made for me!" she cried, showing off the homemade blue ribbons tied to the end of a stick," Aren't they pretty, Doc?"

Sakura smiled and stood up from her herb garden. "They're very pretty, Kirei," she commented, making Kirei smile widely.

"She's been showing them off to everyone all day," an older voice sounded and a man around the age of 17 stumbled out of the woods. He quickly straightened himself and tried to act like he never tripped. With what was supposed to be non-obvious look, he quickly glanced around to make sure the girls didn't see him fall. But they did and Sakura and Kirei couldn't help but laugh.

"You should've just used the trail, Sora-kun," Kirei laughed and pranced over to her older brother. He blushed bright red and told Kirei to shut it. Still giggling, Sakura walked over and fastened her cloak around her shoulders.

"Hello Sakura," he greeted and smiled brightly at her. Inside, Sakura felt a wince of pain; her reminded her so much of Naruto…

"Hey Sora," she smiled back. He smiled even wider, neither of them really saying anything. Until Sakura looked back to Kirei," Kirei, I have something I want to show you." Kirei's eyes lit up and she bounced up and down where she stood, causing Sakura to lightly chuckle.

Sakura turned around and headed back to her cottage, Kirei and Sora close behind. As they entered, Sora looked around at the interior as Sakura rummaged through an old bag. It was a tiny cottage, with only one room and a small bed pushed into the corner. A small stove was placed near the fireplace, along with some hanging pots and pans. It was a cozy little cottage, decorated for simple life.

"Aha!" Sakura cheered and pulled out a red ribbon from God-knows-where. The once brilliant red color caught Sora and Kirei's eyes; it was unlike anything found in their small village.

"It's beautiful, Doc," Kirei gaped, awed by the brilliant color," How did you get it so red?"

Sora repeated Kirei's question, gingerly taking the ribbon from Sakura's outstretched hand. Once he felt the fabric, he was amazed to feel its smoothness and velvet-like feel.

"It's a satin red ribbon from a store in my hometown," she explained," Someone else made it, then sold it. Actually, my old friend was the one who gave it to me."

"Where _do_ you come from, Doc?" Kirei asked innocently, looking up at Sakura with her big blue eyes. Sakura glanced at Sora, who regarded her quietly. He's asked her this very same question dozens of times and each time, she never replied…

"I'll tell you some other time, Kirei," she smiled and ruffled the child's hair.

GOOOONG! GOOOONG! GOOOONG! A deep bell rang in the distance, making Sora and Sakura snap to attention. "Three rings…" Sakura mused," The Woodsman had returned. " Sora frowned, as if something was bothering him," Wasn't he here just ten days ago?"

GOOOONG! The bell rang a fourth time, echoing over the entire forest. Sakura and Sora exchanged feverish glances; that ring meant the Woodsman wasn't alone…

Sakura sprinted into the thick trees, Sora hot on her heels. They heard Kirei yelling at them to slow down, but they paid no heed to her words and ran like the Devil was on their tails.

_'Please. Let it be a common traveler,'_ Sakura prayed,_' Don't let them find me.'_

Sora glanced at her from the corner of his eye and saw her frightened expression, but said nothing. He deftly leaped over a fallen log and kept right in step with Sakura.

"You're usually not this good at running through the woods," Sakura commented, looking at him strangely from the corner of her eye.

"Adrenaline, I guess," was the only answer he gave her, never taking his eyes from the path in front of him.

They both burst from the trees into the heart of the town. A small crowd had gathered, mainly consisting of the children. And standing in the middle of it all, right next to the Woodsman…was Uchiha Itachi.

Sakura's gasp caught in her throat and she stumbled backwards into Sora. She felt her back collide with his chest, but her attention was focused solely on Itachi. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she reached up and laid a hand over her, but it did little to soothe her nerves.

It was at that moment Itachi chose to look up from the villagers' faces and locked eyes with the former Konoha kunoichi. There was a hint of surprise and confusion in his eyes, but kept his mouth shut and chose to merely stare at her with his coal black eyes. Sakura however, felt a primal fear instill itself into her very core, making her grip Sora's hand tightly in her own. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was slowly crushing it, but he never said anything about it. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly to let her know that he was still there.

"Sora," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off of Itachi's," Take Kirei and run back to my cottage." He gripped her shoulder tightly and demanded an answer. She shook her head and again ordered him to run.

"It's _him_, isn't it?" he scowled and motioned toward the newcomer. Itachi still stood among the villagers, politely answering their questions. But he noticed Sora's gesture and quickly frowned in their general direction. Sora returned it with a heartfelt glare.

"Let's go, Sora," Sakura said quietly, almost humbly, and tugged at his sleeve. But he paid no attention to her for once and continued glaring at the Uchiha.

"Doc! Come down here and meet this young man!" Kimimitsu, Sora and Kirei's mother yelled at the two of them atop the knoll," You too, Sora!"

Sakura frowned at Kimimitsu's use of her local nickname right in front of Itachi while Sora scowled at his own mother. She just returned it with a look that just ordered him to get his sorry ass down there or face the consequences. Sora frowned at her, but sighed and pulled Sakura behind him down the small hill and into the village.

"And this is my son, Sora. And our healer, Yuki Sakura," Kimimitsu grinned widely and pulled Sakura out of Sora's arms and forward. Sakura held back a squeak, even when she found herself face to face with THE Uchiha Itachi and shoved right up to him.

"Kaa-san!" Sora argued loudly and quickly pulled Sakura from his mother's grasp. Again, Sakura felt like she was in a whirlwind as she was spun around and finally ended up behind Sora's back with his arm outstretched to keep her there. She peeked over Sora's shoulder (damn him for being tall!) and saw Itachi looking at the two of them with his trademark impassive eyes. Then he looked back at Kimimitsu.

"We are already acquainted," he said, earning a collective gasp. It was obvious that no one expected the two newest people to their tiny community to actually _know_ each other.

"We've met only one time before," Sakura shot back from behind Sora," We're not exactly friends." She shot a glare at Itachi, causing him to smirk. He found it amusing that she dared to glare at him and not worry about her own death. It was rather…refreshing.

Unconsciously, he looked her over, comparing her to when he last saw her. She'd traded her red kunoichi outfit for a backwoods assortment of black pants and a red knitted sweater. It almost made her look kinda cute; he could just imagine her in the winter season, wearing that red sweater. She also wore a dark green cloak that he noticed matched every other cloak in this town. It appeared the dark cloak was a universal symbol to these people, so they would always know who was from this village. Besides that, he also noticed that she wore nothing on her head…

"Where is your hitai-ate?" he questioned, enjoyed to see her flush a bright red. He decided that it was a color that suited her.

"That's none of your business!" she retorted back at him, forgetting any self preservation she had left. She stepped out from behind Sora and marched right up to Itachi.

"Hitai-ate?" Sora repeated and glanced at Sakura," Doc, those are-"

"We need to talk," she interrupted him and spoke to Itachi head on. To emphasize her point, she grabbed Itachi's strong wrist and led him away from the others. He could've easily refused; could've stayed exactly where he was; could've even killed her and everyone in this town. But did none of those things and let the tiny kunoichi pull him away from the gaping faces and into what he realized was the town store.

There wasn't much in the store. Just some food and hunting supplies, no doubt brought here from the modern world by the Woodsman. The storekeeper stood quietly behind the counter, not really caring to indulge in the gossips of the town. "Could we have a moment, Ryuga?" Sakura asked politely, giving the old man a sweet smile.

"Sure thing, Doc," the old man smiled back and headed for the back of the store. He glanced at Itachi, who seemed bored, just as he reached the door to his office then looked at Sakura. "Sora won't be happy, you know," he told her," He don't like being lied to." And with that, he disappeared into his office.

"So that's your boyfriend's name, Sora," Itachi mused with a smirk on his face, not even bothering to look at her. Instead he opted to gaze at Ryuga's closed door.

"He's not my boyfriend and Sora has nothing to do with this," Sakura snapped at him, effectively getting his attention," I don't even know why the hell you're here."

"My reasons don't concern you," he looked back at her. There was a hint of anger on his face and Sakura remained fixated under his gaze. She looked back at him, looking him squarely in the eyes. After almost a full minute, her eyes softened, which in turn caused his to soften as well.

"Then just tell me you won't harm these people," she said quietly," They don't deserve to be murdered."

He bit his tongue, stopping himself from retorting that he wasn't a murderer. But as he thought it, the faces of everyone he's even killed came before his eyes.

"If I say this, will you tell me why you refuse to wear your hitai-ate?" he questioned, fixing his icy gaze upon her.

She frowned and turned her head away from him. "I didn't want these people to know I'm a shinobi," she said curtly," But now you've come and ruined everything." Saying no more, she swiveled on her heel and strode over to the door.

Just as she pushed open the door, Sora stepped into the threshold, accidentally blocking her way. A little girl with blonde hair and big blue eyes stood next to him, clutching Sora's hand.

"Doc!" the little girl let go of Sora's hand and flung herself at Sakura, hugging her tightly," Sora said we had to come get you; he doesn't trust _him_." She looked over at Itachi, who still stood impassively by the counter.

"It's alright, Kirei," Sakura smiled at the little girl and picked her up, resting the small child on her hips and holding her securely," I can take care of myself." At this, Sora shot her a look, causing her to avoid his gaze. Instead, she decided that looking back at Itachi was much safer than facing the distrust in Sora's eyes.

Itachi nodded slightly at her.

"I give you my word," he said simply. Satisfied with his answer, Sakura nodded in return and looked back at Kirei, still avoiding Sora's gaze.

"C'mon Kirei, I'll teach you how to make that medicine you always wanted to learn," she smiled at the child and the two of them left the store, obviously to head back to Sakura's cottage. Sora turned as if to obediantly follow them, but then he looked over his shoulder at Itachi. His normally bright eyes were dark and hard as he locked eyes with the elder Uchiha.

"I'm the only one who knows anything about shinobi," he warned," For Sakura's sake, I will not call you out on who you are, _Uchiha_, but if you hurt her or anyone in this village, just let me tell you of something. Always remember that even if I can't kill you myself, I could have dozens of hunter-nins, bounty hunters, and warriors standing over your body before you can even justify your actions." And with that final warning, he left the store.

* * *

_**Oooooh! Sora has a dark side! And if you've read my Christmas special, a lot of hints in this chapter will have already been revealed. Such as to why Sora is the only shinobi-acquainted one in the village and why he's so well connected in the world of killers. I promise in upcoming chapters, the small family will eventually form! Until now, ta-ta!!!**_


	3. The New Home

_**I'm back bitches!!!**_

"I'm going after them," Naruto declared to the Hokage. She looked up at him lazily, almost as if she's heard this all before.

"And who exactly are 'they'?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer was," Sakura's been gone for four months now. No one's seen her and we've heard of no clues. It's as if she disappeared."

Naruto bit his lip hard, pained at the memory of his ex-teammate. After hearing nothing about her for quarter a year, most had given up hope. Among the village, rumors were flying around that the ROOT had finally tracked her down and she was now long-

No, he couldn't bring himself to even think it. He couldn't even imagine that his female teammate, his best friend, his _sister_ was gone forever. He still had faith that she was out there somewhere, hiding herself among everyone else. Sakura always was a smart girl; she would figure out how to hide among civilians. Or at least, she _had_ been when they were younger... Naruto had to admit that after two long years, he knew almost nothing about Sakura and who she had grown up to be. But he never doubted her abilities. She was a smart girl and would be able to take care of herself.

But then again, he also never doubted her loyalty to Konoha...

Biting his lip hard, Naruto banished all of those dark thoughts to the recesses of his mind. He swallowed, then shook his head at Tsunade," No, I don't mean Sakura-chan. I mean the Akatsuki."

_That_ caught Tsunade's attention as her head snapped up almost violently," What?"

"If I can find the Akatsuki, I'll find Sasuke," Naruto reasoned, repeated what he had rehearsed before he even walked into this room," I _know_ he'll want to know what happened to Sakura-chan. Maybe he'll even help me find her."

Tsunade frowned, but Naruto couldn't help but see how her amber eyes softened," Naruto, you know the Akatsuki is still after you. You'll just be giving them what they want by going to them. And even if you _did_ find Sasuke, we can't be sure he'll want to help. He might not even care." Naruto opened his mouth to loudly protest, but she continued," We can't risk it. It would be safer if Sakura remained hidden."

Naruto's face turned red with anger and frustration as he blinked back the tears that threatened to flow free," How can you say that?! Of course Sasuke would care that Sakura was...was... He would want to know! And I can still bring Sakura-chan back!"

Tsunade looked at the boy with pity in her eyes," You can't, Naruto. Her fate is decided. If she even steps foot in Konoha, she'll be executed immediately."

"Sasuke would be granted access back into Konoha if he comes back! Why shouldn't Sakura-chan?!"

"Because Sasuke never murdered anyone other than his brother..."

...Naruto simply did not know what to say. His whole world was crashing down around him, and he didn't even have his friends there beside him. His team was gone; he was the only one left. But he made a promise to Sakura. He _promised_ he would bring Sasuke back. And now he had another promise to fulfill. He swore on his Hokage dream that he would bring Sakura back to Konoha and save her. He _would _bring Team 7 back together again...

"I won't just forget about her," he declared again, hearing his voice cracking with the stress. Feeling the tears swell up in his eyes, he fled the Hokage building.

An hour later, the door of the Yamanaka Flower shop opened and someone stepped inside. At the register, Ino perked up from her bored position and happily greeted the new customer.

"Ino..."

Ino's blue eyes widened upon seeing the newcomer to the shop. Naruto stood in front of her, looking a little bit lost and confused. "Hey Naruto," she waved, a little surprised to see him in the shop," Who are you buying flowers for? Hinata-chan?" She smiled coyly, not realizing he was still dense as ever.

He merely blinked at her," Why? Is it Hinata-chan's birthday or something? _Should _I get flowers for her?" Ino smacked the middle of her forehead and groaned in frustration; how could Naruto _still_ not know of Hinata's love for him?!

"Nevermind," she waved her hand nonchalantly, deciding it wasn't worth it to explain it to him," So why _are_ you here?" Naruto glanced around quick, as if to make sure no one else was in the shop and listening in on them.

Satisfied, he whispered to Ino in a painfully obvious gesture," I know Sakura-chan; she never would've killed someone out of cold blood. And I want you to help me prove it and get Sakura amnesty."

* * *

Karin was not happy.

She was the farthest thing from happy actually. If someone had even tried to smile at her right now, she probably would bite their fricken head off. Which is what she was seriously considering doing to Suigetsu right now. The only thing that stopped her was the thought of the horrible taste and the fact that Sasuke would not be pleased.

"I don't get why you're so pissy," Suigetsu said, making a face at her," Sasuke's only been gone for a couple hours. It's not like it's nothing new."

"Just shut _up_, will you?!" she snapped and chucked a shuriken at him for good measure. She missed however, due to her growing frustration with the infuriating man. He was distracting her from her thoughts damnit!

"Hey!" he complained loudly, only to feel her boot collide with his face.

As Karin stomped on Suigetsu, she thought back on her previous thoughts, the very things that put her in a terrible mood. Most of them were little things, such as a bad hair day (her damn hair just wouldn't curl right today!), no hot showers, and having to listen to Suigetsu rant all day long. These little things kept building up, just waiting for a bombshell to drop and reenact the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

That bombshell had been Sasuke.

Or rather, it wasn't Sasuke himself, but rather a tiny tattoo on his back that she never noticed before. During battles, he tended to get his shirt cut up and have to fight shirtless. It was those battles that Karin loved and seeing Sasuke without a shirt on is what she lives for. (Seeing him without pants on is what she would die for.)

But after Sasuke killed his brother, Itachi, and Team Hebi joined the Akatsuki, Zetsu mentioned something really strange. While Sasuke was talking with Madara, Zetsu had chuckled and commented that he thought it was funny Sasuke only lived because his ex-teammate randomly showed up to heal him. And Sasuke never even realized it.

To add to everything, during their battle with the 8-tail Ox, Karin was shocked beyond belief to see a small tattoo on Sasuke's back. It was exactly in the middle of his back, stragetically placed where he wouldn't be able to see it without the use of a mirror. It was a simple tattoo, with the two letters of _'HS'_ and a tiny flower encircling it. The whole thing appeared toofeminine to be something Sasuke would willingly place on his body, not to mention those mysterous two letters.

Curious, she asked him if the initials HS meant anything to him. Annoyed, he thought for a moment and responded sourly," I once knew someone by the name of Haruno Sakura. But she was a weak kunoichi who was always crying."

_'Oh yeah?'_ Karin thought bitterly, thinking back on his answer,_' If she was so weak and meaningless to you, then why the fuck do you have her __initials__ tattoed on your flawless skin?!'_

But of course, she never mentioned the tattoo.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Doc, I forgot all about your ribbon," Sora apologized, holding up the beloved red ribbon. He had forgotten that he had stuffed the red fabric into his pocket during today's drama. It wasn't until he reached her cottage that he remembered he still possessed the ribbon. He held it out to her with an apologetic face, but she merely glanced at it before looking him in the eye.

"You keep it," she smiled sweetly," It can't belong to one person forever; it should be passed on from friend to friend. It will bring you hope and confidence in yourself."

He could only stare at her with a confused look on his face. Realizing that she was serious, he broke out into a smile to mirror her own. Kirei smiled as well, happy but not entirely too sure what everyone was smiling about. She stood at the stove, dutifully stirring a pot of homemade medicine.

KNOCK! KNOCK

The smile slid away from Sakura's face and their attention was diverted to the door. Sakura frowned; she could sense two people on standing outside her small house, one of which had a significantly larger chakra system. Scowling, she stalked over to the door and swung it open.

"Hello Sakura," Kimimitsu smiled widely, as if the fact that Uchiha Itachi standing right behind her with the dark aura that seemed to follow him everywhere was normal. Which it wasn't, need be reminded.

"Kimimitsu-san, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, sending a quick glare Itachi's way. He ignored it, or was too engaged in his act of glancing around her cottage, taking in his new surroundings.

He approved of the simplicity of it all. The only furniture consisted of two full lenth cots tucked into one corner of the house, a simple fireplace with a couple of chairs set in front of it, a small dining table that couldn't fit more than two people, and a small kitchen with a stove and oven. The small child from before stood on a stool in front of the stove, a wooden spoon in her hand and a pot before her. The scent of herbs permeated the air, filling his senses with a relaxing effect. (He judged the herb to be the soothing lavender.) Sora sat at the table, holding something red in his hand, but his glare was directed towards Itachi.

"Well," Kimimitsu spoke," Itachi needs somewhere to stay and no one in the village has room. You know I would take him in if I could, but I simply don't have room. We could build another small cottage likes yours, but in the meantime...and we figured since you two already know each other-"

"No," Sakura interrupted, clenched the door. The wood began to creak under the pressure and alarmed, she quickly let go. In the back of her head, she registered the distinct dents in the wood caused by her hand. But she had other things on her mind as her fist balled at her sides," He is not allowed within my home."

"Doc..." Kimimitsu frowned.

"He can have my old room," Sora stood from the table and sauntered over to stand behind Sakura, looking over her head to look down at his mother," I'll stay here with Doc. You're always complaining how she lives all alone with no protection."

Kimimitsu opened her mouth to protest, but Itachi cut her off, addressing Sora," We both know she needs no protection. And anything she can't protect herself against, I doubt there is anything you could do."

Sora glared at him viciously and took a dangerous step towards the stoic man before Sakura needed to place a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Back with Kimimitsu, she frowned at Itachi, more than ready to teach him the common courtesy used in their village. Seeing his eyes locked with Sora's, she decided that speech could come later. For now, she turned back to her son.

"I still want you to stay at home, Sora," she scolded," Don't forget your responsibilites. And I'm sure Itachi-san will be just as capable of protecting Sakura-chan from anything that comes out of these woods. Besides, the most dangerous things there are are bears, and they don't come near here. So now I want you and Kirei to march right on home."

"But-"

"_Now_."

Sullenly, Sora gritted his teeth and stalked out the door past his mother. As he passed Itachi, he attempted to purposely bump roughly into his shoulder. He just didn't expect to collide with a wall of iron. After recovering from his surprise, he glared at the impassive Itachi and stomped toward the path leading back to the village. At the stove, Kirei frowned and hopped off the stool and walked over to her mother.

"Thank you, Kimimitsu-san," Itachi nodded politely at the older woman," I can take it from here." The village leader frowned, but thought better of arguing. Instead she nodded regally at the prim man and took Kirei's hand before following after Sora.

So Sakura was left to stare at Itachi as he stared back at her.

"You're not stepping foot into my house," she repeated, standing her ground," You can sleep outside for all I care." Even though she appeared brave and fearless, on the inside, Sakura was terrified. At least before, he had been too injured and weak to really pose a threat to her. But now...now he was at his full strength and power...He could easily kill her if the thought even came to him.

"Do you really think you can stop me if I really wanted to enter?" he raised an aristocratic eyebrow. The only response Sakura deemed appropriate was to pull a kunai out from under her homemade cloak and took a defensive stance.

"Just try me," she growled, masking her fear with anger.

There was just a hint of a smirk on Itachi's face, but it was there for only a moment. Either he was slightly amused at her bravery...or her foolishness.

"You remind me of my foolish little brother," he mused. Just as he was expecting, she stumbled, caught off guard by his words," Wha-what?" He merely looked back at her, amused by her reaction.

Rather quickly, faster than he liked, she regained her stance and retorted back at him," Don't forget that it was your little brother who killed you."

"And it was his teammate who brought me back," he countered," I told you that I always pay my debts. I have no intention of killing you."

"What makes you think I can trust _you_?" she glared hard at him, clutching the kunai tightly in her hand. Although she looked fierce, he could see the miniscule tension in her shoulders; she was preparing for an attack from him. He smirked again, seeing her glare heat up even more.

Before Sakura could even blink, he was gone. The next second, she felt a presence appear behind her and a pair of big **("and waaaaaarm," Inner Sakura cooed at the sensation)** settled on her waist. A smooth voice resonated in her ear, blowing warm breath onto her skin and making goosebumps appear **(Inner Sakura promptly melted into a puddle of goo.) **"I haven't killed you yet, have I?"

Itachi released her and stepped away just as she swung around with her kunai flashing. He barely dodged the weapon, but was unaffected as he just stood his ground, just standing in her kitchen. As she glared at him, he casually leaned on the back of one of the chairs, staring back at her. For a while, they just stood like that, staring at each other. His black eyes focused mainly on her fiery green ones, but occasionally she noticed how his eyes would drift upwards to her forehead. With a sudden realization, she knew he kept looking at her forehead, as if expecting her hitai-ate to magically appear there. He was clearly expecting an answer or explanation, but she'd be damned before she gives him what he wants.

At long last, it was actually _him_ that spoke first. "I know why you refuse to wear your hitai-ate," he said," The whole world knows by now." And with that, he reached into his cloak, not for a weapon, but for the Bingo Book instead. With grace that only an Uchiha could posses he tossed it to her, which she deftly caught.

It was bookmarked to a certain page and when she opened it, she was surprised for many reasons. One was that he bothered to bookmark it in the first place. Second, she was surprised that so much time has already passed since she first came to this tiny village. And third... She was shocked to see her own face staring back up at her. Speechless, she read her own profile; the color draining from her face.

"I can't believe it," she gasped, not believing that it had already been _four_ months since she veered from Konoha," They've already entered me? Everyone knows me as...a killer?"

"It doesn't take long for one to become an entry in the Bingo Book," was all he said, remembering that it had only taken one week for him to become number 1 in many people's Bingo Book, and another week to make the official Bingo Book.

She said nothing in return, only staring at the Bingo Book. Without even thinking, she flipped the page and promptly saw Itachi's own profile. A large red X was stamped right over the page, covering most of his face.

Looking back up, she saw Itachi staring right back at her, knowing full well that she was now looking at his own profile. He knew that she was beginning to realize why he came to this village. He was dead to the world, and was as good as dead to himself, having no purpose in life anymore. He was free from Akatsuki; had no village to return to; had no family to turn to; he had nothing left in this world. He came to this village to start over. He wanted to disappear from the world and become someone else. That was something he could only do in a place where no one knew of him.

In the end, what she did both surprised him and made him feel something that he hadn't felt since his mother was alive. She _smiled_ at him and walked right up to him. He tensed, but she just closed the Bingo Book and gently set it on the table. _Still smiling at him_, she spoke," There are blankets and an extra pillow, I can have your bed ready in no time. And dinner won't be for a while; I have to finish the medicine first. But I'm making onigiri with umeboshi tonight."

The way she was being so...familiar with him... as if she hadn't been scared of him just two minutes ago, shocked him. Already, she was offering him a home, more than ready to make room for him. This was truly not what he was expecting...

Not waiting for his response, she swiftly turned around, heading for the pot on the stove. Humming softly, she stirred the medicine, suddenly releasing a powerful wave of the scent of lavender. The calming scent reached his nose and broke him out of his trance. Breaking out of his thoughts, he calmly walked over to her.

He said nothing, but as she looked over her shoulder back at him, she saw the curiousity in his eyes. He was no doubt wondering what the medicine was. "It's a sleeping drought," she said in a professional voice, turning back to her work," It's mainly used to prevent nightmares and gives a dreamless sleep. A child from the village has been having nightmares lately, so I offered to make this for them."

"Aa," was the only response he gave, not knowing that he sounded very much like his brother.

Sakura smiled, for once feeling it reach her heart for the first time in four months.

_**Thank you for reading! Please find it in your heart to click on those green little words below this text!**_


	4. The Lullaby

_**Disclaimer: It is with a heavy heart that I admit that the series 'Naruto' is not owned by me, nor will it ever be.**_

It was a peaceful life, one that they shared together with silent moments, small gestures, and unsaid words. It had not taken long for Itachi to discover Sakura's secret training ground. One day, she woke up to find him gone (unlike usual), but thought nothing of it and decided it would be a fine time to go train before breakfast. But when she walked onto her hidden training ground, she was mildly surprised to see Itachi battering away at a much larger and more intimidating dummy than her own. With suspicious green eyes, she looked off to the side, she immediately spotted her original training dummy lying on the ground, broken into at least three pieces. Three pieces that she could see at least; she _swore_ that small pile of ashes sitting next to it had once been the dummy's head...

"You killed it," she unceremoniously poked the parts, pouting at her misfortune for losing her dummy, and allowing the offender go unpunished. (She would have to be crazy before she confronted Itachi about it.) Itachi stopped assaulting his own dummy for a moment to turn back to her.

"It broke too easily," he said simply, not really giving a shit about her dummy.

"It's a dummy, Dummy," she snapped at him, shooting that heated glare he found so amusing back at him," The main objective is aim and accuracy, not power. If I hit every dummy as hard as I could, the whole forest would be leveled in less than a week; I'd go through so many training dummies."

He smirked and Sakura had the sneaking suspicion he had only heard her first sentence and tuned out everything she said after that. Obviously no one's ever called him a Dummy before... True, Inner Sakura was now berating Sakura for calling him such a lame name. **("Oh come on! You can come up with a worse name than that! I would've accepted even Jerk!") **She decided it wasn't worth it to argue with him and walked towards him, suddenly wondering where the new dummy came from.

Upon closer inspection, she was shocked beyond words to realize that the large (the damn thing stood a foot above her head) vaguely human shaped object was carved out of pure _rock_. Each part had been broken away, creating a human shape, with it's arms stretched out wide and its trunk at least three feet in diameter.

"What the fuck?" she breathed, staring at the thing," Did you _carve_ this?"

The only answer she got was a 'Hn'.

...She should've expected that answer....

* * *

Every day after that, Itachi would disappear in the early morning and late afternoon, to go train. Sakura found it rather strange how every time he left, not five minutes later, Sora would be walking down the path to her cottage, leisurely walking towards her. His face would be solemn and grim, as thought after thought raced through his mind. Only when Sakura would call out to him, would he look up and smile brightly at her.

Never once did he ask of Itachi's whereabouts; if anything, he preferred not having the Uchiha around. It was obvious in the way he would hastily excuse himself once Itachi would return from his training. As soon as the older man would walk within seeing distance of the cottage or garden, Sora would invent an excuse of having to be somewhere, to help Kimimitsu or Ryuga, or something of the sort. And by the time Itachi would approach them, Sora would be long gone.

It frustrated Sakura how the two men would make no effort whatsoever to ever stand each other's presence.

* * *

"Isn't it about time to start building a separate place for him to stay?" Sora asked her one day, as the two of them walked together to Ryuga's shop. Sakura needed more seeds to plant in her garden and had persuaded Sora and Kirei to accompany her and maybe help her plant and weed her garden. The three of them strolled through the woods, almost silent as birds chirped above them.

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, and just concentrated on the peaceful sounds. She heard the wind whistling through the leaves, rustling the flush trees together and hiding the singing birds. Other than the sounds of nature and their footsteps, the world was silent and peaceful. She could easily get lost in this world, to forget her troubles and worries, to go back to the way things were before.

Sakura did not have to ask to know that Sora was talking about Itachi. Remembering Kimimitsu's promise to build Itachi his own cottage so she could have her cottage all to herself once again, Sakura realized that three weeks had already passed and nothing had been done about getting the oldest Uchiha out of her home. With a sudden realization, she realized that she actually didn't _mind_ living with the quiet man. He stayed out of her way and she stayed out of his. The only time they really communicated was when they would eat together, which was few and far in between anyways. They lived together peacefully,dared she say it. Having him around also never failed to set her mind at peace, funny as it sounds.

"Doc..." Sora lightly nudged her, meaning to break her out of her thoughts. As she blinked herself back into reality, Sora frowned, knowing that she was thinking about _him_. And judging by that look on her face, she would do anything to keep the bastard around as long as she could.

"Neh, we'll start when Itachi feels like leaving," she smiled up at him," It's his choice after all. Until he wants to move out, he stays."

Sora gaver her an incredulous look, unable to comprehend her logic. How he just wanted to grab her by her shoulders and shake the insanity right out of her. _How_ could she stand _living_ with that monster?! Sora knew exactly who Itachi was, but never let on that he was associated with shinobi and knew of the horrible things Itachi had done in his life time. At the same time, the only way he could understand why she would tolerate his quiet and arrogant personality is if she had no idea who he really was. (Hard to understand, but it was the only reasonable answer he could come up with. If Sakura knew what the man had done as a shinobi, she wouldn't be able to be so complacent around him.)

"Do you like having Itachi around, Doc?" Kirei spoke up just as they walked into the village. Sakura smiled and waved to one of the villagers, Shinjiru, before looking back at Kirei.

"Sometimes," she answered, stepping into Ryuga's shop with Sora and Kirei on her tail. Looking around the shop, she was quiet for a second, a forlon look on her face. When she finally spoke again, her face was one of nostalgia," ...He reminds me of someone I used to know...Someone who was very important to me..."

Kirei wasn't sure how to respond, but then, neither did Sora. Sakura didn't say anything else, just slapped a smile on her face and paid for the seeds. All of them were silent as they headed back towards the cottage. As they stepped out of the woods, Sakura didn't miss how Sora tensed up beside her and froze in his steps. Following his gaze, Sakura almost rolled her eyes.

Itachi was sitting in front of the cottage, absentmindedly paging through a book. When Sakura and Kirei approached, he raised his onyx eyes towards them. He said nothing, but nodded his head in acknowledgment before returning to his book.

"I'm going to go help Mother," Sora spoke from his spot by the trees, unable to yet move from the treeline. Itachi raised his head once again to look at the brunette with impassive eyes. He didn't even acknowledged Kirei when she sat down beside him and began rattling off, asking him about his book and if he like it. Instead, he merely glanced in between a tense Sora and a frowning Sakura, slightly wondering how this would all play out.

Itachi wasn't one for lying; he found Sora's stubborn determination to avoid him at all costs amusing. In this tiny village, the social drama that Sora and Sakura brought into everyday life was the only source of entertainment he could find. The brunette boy was so paranoid around Itachi and he made nearly no effort to cover it up. As for Sakura, it was obvious how annoyed she was with his behavior.

Deeply frowning at Sora, Sakura made a beeline for him before he could disappear into the woods. With an exaspherated sigh, she latched a hand onto his wrist and forced him to stay. A little startled, he looked back at her over his shoulder; his eyes silently telling her to let him go. She shook her head," No, you promised to help me with the garden today. So do the honorable thing and do what you promised regardless of whatever you fear."

Sora instantly stiffened at her words; if there was any way to play Sora, it was to play on his honor. And he _did_ make a promise...(Sora took promises very seriously) At the cottage, Itachi smirked, knowing that Sakura had the foolish boy cornered. It really wasn't hard to find his weakness; Sora was obsessed with honor and honesty, things shinobi couldn't care less about and would throw away without a second's thought. Sora would've never made a good shinobi; he believes in fighting his opponent on equal terms and with no advantages or disadvantages and _always_ kept his word.

"Kuso..." Sora mumbled under his breath, remembering that he had indeed promised Sakura. Looking above Sakura's head, Sora glanced at the elder Uchiha, who was watching the scene with amused eyes. Kirei sat innocently beside him, still trying to read the title of whatever book he was reading. He looked back down at Sakura and her fiery green eyes.

He could only sigh and nod his head in defeat," Hai, I'll help in the garden as I promised, _but_-" he threw a hardened look at Sakura for good measure," -there is _nothing _that I am afraid of. So get that ridiculous thought out of your head."

Sakura simply grinned up at him and proceeded to drag him back towards the cottage. As they neared the small abode and the dangerous man sitting in front of it, the more tense Sora became. He nearly blew a casket when Sakura asked said dangerous man if he would also help with the gardening. Sora was sure he had died and was in an alternate universe when Itachi _agreed_.

But Sakura was unaffected by this apocalyptic event and continued to smile as the Uchiha carefully set his book down and stood up. In a cheerful mood, Kirei bounced up and made a beeline for the garden, cheering like a child going to a festival. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the small child and followed after her, never releasing her grip from Sora's wrist. Itachi walked behind them, nonchalantly following them to the garden.

"Hmm," Sakura's green eyes flickered over the garden, assessing what had to be done," Kirei, could you please start weeding? Sora, you'll help me with planting the new seeds. And Itachi," she glanced over at the stoic man," Could you please go fetch some water from the brook?" He merely nodded before heading off in the woods, stopping by the cottage porch to pick up the two water buckets.

Sora watched him go with stern and distrusting eyes. His blue eyes drilled into Itach's back, wishing in his mind that he had the power to cause spontaneous combustion. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw Sakura frowning at him again, but did not cease his glare. He did not trust Itachi and nothing would change that. Sora was not stupid enough to trust a merciless killer.

Before he knew it, Sakura was pulling him towards the garden, shoving a packet of seeds into his hands with warning glare.

* * *

It was moments like this that Kimimitsu lived for. A roaring fire blazed in the center of the town; it's columns of flames reaching higher and higher into the sky. The warm light reflected off of the faces of those standing around, their faces bright and cheerful. Kimimitsu knew every single one of those faces, their names, their pasts, and their dreams. At least for most of them. Leaning against a building was Yuki Sakura, their resident doctor. The woolen red sweater fit her figure snugly, just like the denim jeans she wore. (Their village preferred to use the foreign denim material as it was the only material tough enough to endure the harsh wilderness.) The dark green cloak that Kimimitsu had woven herself (Kimimitsu took it upon herself to weave cloaks for every member of their tiny village. It was a testiment to show that they were one: one village, one family. It was what set them apart from others, other than their remote location.) A shadow moved beside Sakura, detaching itself from the shadows of the building.

With a start, Kimimitsu recognized the shadow to be Itachi as he stepped up beside Sakura. The pink haired doctor glanced up at the dark man and offered up a small smile before turning back to the fire. Kimimitsu couldn't help but smile at the unseeming couple; despite their different personalities, they appeared to get along just fine. Itachi did not speak often with the villagers; Sakura made it her business to socialize with every single one of them. Itachi was very dark, with his dark clothes, hair, and eyes; Sakura was perhaps the brightest person Kimimitsu had ever met.

Itachi stood next to Sakura, his dark eyes intently watching the people milling around the fire. It was strange to him, watching these people act so cheerfully, celebrating something that he had yet to understand. When Sakura had approached him earlier, asking him if he would skip training tonight to come down to the village. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what the occasion was, but decided to humor her and said yes. When they arrived, he was mildly surprised to see all of the villagers out and about, setting up what looked like the makings of a huge bonfire.

Sakura had said it was a tradition that Kimimitsu started; the older woman wanted everyone to spend time together, like family. The mere word of _family_ had struck a cord in Itachi's consious and it was still ringing strong at the bonfire. As he looked around the villagers, Itachi had a painful memory of his own family.

The Uchiha Clan was fierce and powerful; their only pride was their reputation. They were expected to be almighty and the best, with no emotions, weakness, or remorse. The Clan Heir was no exception. From the moment he could walk, Itachi was trained to become the deadliest shinobi, an assassin with no heart. As he had been born during the Great Shinobi War, Fugaku would secretly take Itachi out as a boy after the battles, and show him the battlefield.

Itachi would never forget those days. He would never forget the stench, the corpses, the _death_. The smell of rotten and burnt flesh filled the air; it never failed to make him sick as a boy. He tried to close his eyes and plug his nose in attempt to push the battlefield out of his consious, but Fugaku would have none of it. After the first three visits, Itachi learned not to turn away and to face the death like his father expected him to. He was forced to look upon the slain bodies; having to see exactly how they were killed...

It did not take long for Itachi to learn to hate his father...

"You could try to enjoy yourself, Itachi," Sakura's soft voice broke him out of his thoughts," We're going to start soon." Itachi glanced down at her with impassive eyes, acknowledging that he heard her.

"Hn."

Even now, he was still slightly amazed at how casual she was with him, how comfortable she was around him. It was true, he wanted to restart as someone else, but he never expected _Haruno Sakura_ to be the first one to accept that and do her best to make it come true. She treated him as no one other than her housemate, not a missing-nin that she had been trained to kill on sight by her village and by his little brother, her teammate.

At the familiar word, he watched in amusement as she sighed heavily, obviously annoyed by his lack of vocational skills. She was just so full of life and energy, it was entertaining for him to see the different emotions and expressions run across her face. Deciding it wasn't worth it to argue, she sighed again and looked back at the fire. He noticed how her eyes softened into a tender sea-foam green, a slight smile on her face.

Looking back at the fire, Itachi saw that everyone was beginning to settle down on log seats in front of the flames, obviously preparing for something. The next second, he felt a tug on his sleeve; Sakura. With that sweet smile still on her face, she pulled him out of the shadows and towards two log seats side by side. He did not fail to notice how they were set right in the center of all the village children. He shot her a dark look, to which she only giggled and all but forced him to sit down.

_Was this woman __**trying**__ to test his patience?_

"Hn," he frowned, trying to ignore the curious stares from the children and instead focused on Sakura again," What happens at events such as these?"

Sakura shook her head hopelessly," You don't have to speak so formally, Itachi. And we usually tell stories, sing songs, and just spend time together. It's like a family gathering." She smiled at her last statement, but felt her smile fall when Itachi lowered his head. She had the impulse to reach out to him, to place a hand on his shoulder, but soon squashed the thought. Even if it's only been three weeks, Sakura knew Itachi was not fond of physical touch.

"Cheer up, Ita-kun," one of the village children plucked up enough courage to approach Itachi and stood in front of him with an innocent look on her little face," If you feel lonely, you always have us and Doc." She tried to smile at him, but faltered, unsure how to act exactly. Itachi looked up and at the little girl's face.

Both Sakura and the girl broke into bright smiles once they got a look at his face; his eyes were soft and _human_ as he nodded minutely. He had accepted their offer; he would no longer have to be lonely. Sakura couldn't help the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, nor could she stop the soft tone in her eyes, knowing that his eyes were reflecting the same things. His beautiful, lonely, and wise onyx eyes. Those onyx eyes that have seen so much; yet he still continued on just as strong as he always did.

It elated Sakura's heart, knowing that those soft and human black eyes were something that _no one_ had ever seen before, that _she_ was one of the first people of the world to see this side of him. Even as the songs began, with everyone belting out songs of joy and living in the wild, followed by gentle lullabies that didn't fail to bring tears to Sakura's eyes, his eyes never hardened again. Even during the soft slow songs of missing home, loneliness, and quiet strength, he would merely glance over at her and see her glowing green eyes, and his eyes would soften even more. He enjoyed this feeling of family, of _love_, that floated in the air over the village. He enjoyed the feeling of _home_. And she would protect that with everything she had; she would protect that happiness.

_Little child, be not afraid  
The rain pounds harsh against the glass  
Like an unwanted stranger  
There is no danger  
I am here tonight_

_Little child, be not afraid  
Though thunder explodes  
and lightning flash  
Illuminates your tear stained face  
I am here tonight_

_And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls of rivers and land/ and forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning_

_Little child, be not afraid  
The storm clouds mask your beloved moon  
and its candlelight beams  
Still keep pleasant dreams  
I am here tonight_

_Little child, be not afraid  
The wind makes creatures of our trees  
and the branches to hands  
They're not real, understand  
And I am here tonight_

_And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land/ and forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning_

_For you know, once even I  
Was a little child/ and I was afraid  
but a gentle someone always came  
To dry all my tears  
Trade sweet sleep the fears  
And to give a kiss goodnight_

_Well, now I am grown  
and these years have shown  
Rain's a part of how life goes  
But it's dark and it's late  
So I'll hold you and wait  
'Til your frightened eyes do close_

_And I hope that you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land/ and forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning  
The rain will be gone in the morning  
But you'll still be here in the morning..._

_**I absolutely love this song. It's "Lullaby For a Stormy Night"- Vienna Teng. It's often used as a song for Naruto and his dad, but I think it can match any lonely child that is scared and just needs someone to be there for them. In this instance, it's actually NOT a song for Itachi; it's to personalize Sakura; how she's willing to be that someone for everyone else. It you want to, you can imagine she's the one singing it to Itachi, because she's that one person that wants to protect him from the pain inside. Either way, it's perhaps the sweetest song in the world.**_


	5. The Discovery

_**Thank you all for your reviews. Special thanks to hypermaniac and darkness_of_the_blue_moon! (see this, peoples? Send me a decent review and i'll post your name up at the beginning of the newest chapter. SO REVIEW!)**_

Sora: Ahem, Nightmare-chan wishes for you to send in comments about the OC's, as in Kirei and myself. What do you think of us and what are your reactions to having an OC in the story. Remember, our fates depend on your answers. Depending on what you write, we may live, die, stay in the story, or disappear altogether. 

Today was not a very good day, or at least it was turning into one.

Still 'concerned' about the tiny tattoo on Sasuke's back, Karin took it upon herself to know more about this annoying girl, the one named Haruno Sakura. She began by questioning Zetsu, the Akatsuki member who told her Sakura used to be Sasuke's teammate.

When questioned, the black side of his face burst into deep and dark laughter. Karin couldn't help the shiver that ran up and down her spine; this man was _dangerous_.

"Why do you wanna know?" he asked, looking at her directly with his yellow eyes. Karin hardened her own red eyes and glared back at him.

"That's no concern of yours."

He just grinned toothily at her," You've seen her initials tattoo, haven't you?" At his words, Karin blushed a bright red that almost matched her red hair and eyes. She mumbled something incoherent under her breath while he just laughed again.

"I don't care which shinobi you saw it on; there are plenty of them out there," he said," But I've no doubt you've seen Sasuke's." Again, Karin could've stop the blush rising on her face.

"It's called the medic's mark," he explained, deciding to humor the poor clueless girl," It's too dangerous for an unskilled medic-nin, but if used correctly, could save many lives."

"I'll use Sasuke's case an an example. When the kunoichi stumbled across the brothers, Sasuke was halfway dead. Five minutes later and his heart would've stopped beating. A medic's mark is a tiny battery full of supercharged chakra. It usually has enough energy to keep his heart beating for a year; plenty of time for a heart to heal itself and function normally on its own. When that happens, Sasuke will begin to feel like he's constantly on soldier pills."

"So the mark should just disappear in about five months?" Karin asked hopefully, calculating the months since Sasuke killed Itachi and nearly died himself.

But to her dismay, Zetsu shook his head, grinning gleefully," The chakra will run out, but the mark will remain forever."

Oh yes, this day was certainly turning out _wonderful_. It only got worse around nightfall, when Suigetsu liked to browse through the Bingo Book.

"Haha, this color suits him," Suigetsu grinned and held up the Bingo Book to her face. Karin scowled; her eyes eventually focusing to the close proximity of the book. Presently, a picture of a large red X stamped over Uchiha Itachi's face came into view. Annoyed, Karin glared hard at Suigetsu, completely missing the dark glare Sasuke was sending Suigetsu.

Deciding that the water-boy wasn't worth it, Karin turned back to her dinner and angrily stabbed it with a fork. Suigetsu ignored the obvious sign of anger and went back to intently studying the Book. And he felt the unnecessary need to comment on every entry, becoming even _more_ annoying.

"Haha, this guy's face looks like it was mauled by bears!" was the comment given to Morino Ibiki.

"Shut up, Suigetsu," Karin growled, feeling the need to stab her dinner again and again.

"This chick is hot. Too bad she's already dead."

"Suigetsu," Sasuke warned.

"Hey, here's me! Man, I look good."

Scowling, Sasuke finally lost his temper and stood up abrubtly. Karin's eyes shot up, sparkling at the sight of Sasuke in all his glory, as he stood there like an immovable mountain. Juugo merely glanced up, unperturbed (Sp?) by the turn of events. Still scowling, Sasuke began advancing towards Suigetsu.

"Okay okay! Just one more!" Suigetsu spoke quickly," This pink-haired chick from Konoha is damn cute. I would bang her any day." And with that he threw up his hands in surrender, as if to tell Sasuke that he done for the night. But to everyone's surprise, Sasuke did not omit any relief or thankfulness for Suigetsu's willingness to cooperate. No, instead, the very air around him thickened as the feeling of dread dropped over all of them. Juugo noted with interest how Sasuke's eyes widened as he snatched the Book from the fish-boy's hand.

_"Do you have any more questions for me, brat?" Zetsu asked Karin one last time._

_ "Just one more..."_

_ "Well don't just stand there. Ask me before I lose interest and leave you."_

_ "...Was she beautiful?"_

_ Karin expected him to laugh again, as he seemed so fond of doing. But to her surprise, both halves of Zetsu's face were completely serious as he regarded her question with much thought._

_ "No, she is not beautiful physically."_

_ Karin sighed in relief._

_ "But she is pretty, with unique features and the most emotional eyes I've ever seen. I've only met her once, but she is the kind of person one just doesn't forget. She is brave and would follow her heart through a war itself. She is strong, for she gives strength to others and saves none for herself. For that, she is beautiful in her own way."_

Sasuke quickly flipped through the Bingo Book, searching for something that he desperately needed to find. When he reached a page somewhere near the middle, he froze. Karin saw his eyes flicker back and forth as he read the page (whatever it was) as quick as he could manage. Gradually, Karin saw emotions run over his face; emotions that she's never seen on him before: disbelief and despair. In a fit of fury, Sasuke's eyes flashed red with Sharingan and he promptly chucked the Book into the blazing fire.

"Hey!" Suigetsu protested loudly, reaching out to grasp his book, but drew back quickly, feeling the fire evaporate his skin. He glared at Sasuke, but was ignored as the Uchiha angrily picked up his Kusanagi before storming out. Suigetsu's glare turned into a pout and he poked the fire with a long stick, realizing his Bingo Book was forever gone. "He didn't have to burn it," he pouted, trying to look like a poor unfortunate little kid who just got picked on by a bully.

Unfortunaly for him, Karin had no sympathy for the young. "That's what you get for being annoying," she snided at him.

"Just who was it in the Bingo Book that made Sasuke mad?" Juugo questioned, looking over at the duo. As the quietest one of the team, Juugo was always the first one to notice the important things, the _little_ things. He had watched the short but drama filled scene with wondering and curious eyes, wondering how such a little book could draw such emotions from his usual stoic leader. Now, as he asked that fateful question, Juugo looked over at his teammates, waiting for an answer. But to his dismay, Suigetsu merely blinked at him, his face one of complete loss. The idiot was still computing what the bigger man had asked.

"You didn't even look at the _name_, didn't you?!" Karin roared and hit Suigetsu upside the head.

"Yes I did!" the water-boy countered, suddenly knowing that he had to defend whatever pride and dignity he had left, but fell short when he realized the name had escaped him at the moment," ...Sorta...only very briefly..."

"Then what is it?" she demanded, her face darkening. (In the background, Suigetsu could've _sworn_ he saw lightning flash.) Oh great, she wanted specifics? Wasn't it enough that he bothered to look at the name? It's not like he would ever meet the pink-haired cutie. True, she was still alive marked by the absence of a red X, but seeing how small and fragile she was, he doubted she would even live long enough for him to ever meet her and gain the opportunity to do what had declared earlier. Since he would never see or even meet her, Suigetsu felt no need to memorize her name.

But as Karin glared at him with such fury, he suddenly wished he _had_ memorized her name...

"Uhh..." he thought quickly, ready to grasp at any straws within his reach," It was the name of a flower...Hana?...Ayame?...OH!" He shot up, the name suddenly coming back to him. Thank the gods! His life was saved! "_Sakura_! That's it!"

A perpetual bomb had dropped over Karin's head. The lightning disappeared as her face deadpanned and her ruby eyes grew wide with shock. Even while celebrating his victory at not dying by Karin's hands, Suigetsu noticed the change in the atmosphere and looked at her curiously. Was that not the name she wanted to hear so badly?

"Did you say _Sakura_?" she asked him, her voice quiet for once," Was her name _Haruno Sakura_?"

Suigetsu's face lit up. Now he remembered the little fairy's full name," Yeah, that's it! Haruno Sakura. Why, do you know her?"

Karin screamed very very loudly.

* * *

Uchiha Madara gazed blankly at his fuming great great grandson. Sasuke stood stiffly, his hand clenching Kusanagi tightly, wishing nothing more than to strangle or even better, dismember someone, _anyone_, within his grasp. It was not coincidence that he felt these urges while the only one within proximity was the founder of his clan.

"Why do you think that _**I**_ know where this missing-nin is?" Madara asked, appearing truly confounded. But Sasuke knew better. The bastard just wanted to appear innocent.

"Haruno is as loyal to Konoha as Uzumaki." It killed him to say their surnames as if they meant nothing to him. As if he didn't respect them in their own unique ways. But he could not afford to show weakness around Madara... He growled, directing a dark glare at his ancestor," She would never betray her village willingly. Not to mention that she did it just three days prior of Itachi's death."

He raised his head, his Sharingan spinning furiously," Her profile said that she was a renounced medic-nin. You wanted her to become Akatsuki's medic, didn't you? You thought to control her using me. You thought to control _me_ using _her_."

At this revelation, Madara could not stop the chuckle coming from his throat," You are still naive, Sasuke. Even if I wanted to, I don't need you to control a wild kunoichi."

"And to set you straight, Haruno Sakura _did_ betray her village," he continued," And she did it of her own decision. Truth be told, she loved Konoha with all her heart. I suspect that she is an emotional woman, who would do anything to protect the things she loves and cherishes most. Even willing to throw her life away; kill the only family she had left; condemn herself by the village she loves."

"She sounds a lot like your brother, neh?"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He was too damn speechless to form a coherent thought, much less a sentence. His Sharingan eyes stared straight ahead, past Madara's head, seeing nothing but the shock running through his mind.

"Yes, she will suffer the same fate as your brother," Madara seemed almost _giddy_ at the irony of it all," The only difference is that she won't die by the hands of her only remaining family. No, she will most likely be hunted and killed by the entire ROOT organization and nearly half of Konoha's hunter-nin. I can guarantee they have her death warrant in hand already."

Sasuke's head shot up so fast, he got whiplash. Bright lights flickered behind his eyes violently, but he ignored them as he glared at Madara. He had more important things to worry about than his eyes. "Where is she?" he demanded, remembering just how fierce Hunter-nin could be; how ruthless and merciless ROOT operatives were.

"That is something even I don't know the answer to," Madara waved his hand nonchalantly," She disappeared completely after burying Itachi's ashes."

Sasuke's hands clenched so tightly that blood began to pool in his palms.

Madara's Sharingan eye twinkled behind his mask," You didn't know she was there, didn't you? In Itachi's last moment? Imagine, _she_, not _you_, got to see him take his last breath; you were too far gone to be conscious."

"Did you not wonder why you healed so quickly? You should've been incapacitated for at least two months in intensive care. Only your ex-teammate has that kind of healing power, not to mention the heart willing to heal _you_ after everything you've done. Zetsu offered her a position in Akatsuki-"

Sasuke's jaw was starting to hurt from gritting his teeth.

"-but she declined. In the end, she gave Itachi a proper burial, then disappeared. No one has seen or heard from her in eight months."

...Madara then mumbled under his breath, obviously referring back to something of the past," Damn Harunos are all alike. They would even pay respects to a dead traitor..."

_"And may you rest in peace," a young and innocent voice finished as a young child kneeled before a make-shift grave. A Hunter-nin stood nearby, his annoyance obvious even behind his mask._

_ "Go home, child, before you test my patience," he ordered gruffly," He's nothing more than a missing-nin. A traitor. You should've just let his ashes blow in the wind."_

_ Verdant emerald eyes glanced up at him," I buried him because it is what he deserved. I'm sure that there was some small part of good in his heart; that he once did something good in his life. I'm rewarding him for that small good deed."_

_ Behind his mask, he narrowed his eyes," You don't even know his name."_

_ Green eyes sparkled as the tiny and frail child stood and walked away, back into the forest. But the small boy stopped and glanced over his shoulder, his green eyes still sparkling," No, I don't. But I don't need to."_

It took everything Sasuke had, every self control, every self discipline, not to throw a kunai at Madara. But by the smug tone in his ancestor's voice told him that was just what Madara wanted. So instead, he spun harshly on his heels and marched right out.

* * *

It was just as Madara said. She really _did_ burn his brother's body then placed the ashes in a grave. The soil had long since settled and there was even a small cosmos flower growing near the headstone.

The headstone...

It was very simple; just a slate of stone with crude kunai engravings. It was plain and simple, but it held such meaning. The simple words carved into the stone's surface stood out for the world to see.

_'Uchiha Itachi_

_ Former Konoha shinobi. Akatsuki Member'_

Sasuke ignored the date, as it had been burned into his memory. He could just close his eyes, and that day and its events would forever be imprinted onto the back of him eyelids. No...it was the final inscription that jumped out at him. It had been placed lower than the rest of the others, as if put there as a last minute thought...

_'Big brother'_

He bit his bottom lip _hard_. Just looking at those two simple words, he couldn't help but think that this was _exactly_ the kind of thing Sakura would do. Even as a Genin, a shinobi who shouldn't feel emotions, she felt compassion for all. To her, family was forever and everyone deserved a second chance. There were times as a Genin, Sasuke would momentarily think of her as the one kunoichi who would one day give up her shinobi title and become a loving mother. In those last months, Sakura had certainly tried being Team 7's mother. She was trying to give Naruto and himself a second chance...

But there was no second chance for Itachi; it was too late. (Sasuke ignored the part of him that pointed out that it was _his_ fault that Itachi couldn't redeem himself and try a second chance at life.) But Sakura knew a second chance was a second chance, so she did the next best thing she could. She did something that Sasuke could not deny holding her in the highest for. She declared to the world that first and foremost, over everything, Uchiha Itachi was a brother. Not an Akatsuki member; not a shinobi, a tool of war; not even an Uchiha. But a brother.

Sasuke's big brother...

"I'm ready whenever you are," Juugo's voice spoke quietly behind Sasuke. The last Uchiha didn't flinch or blink an eye; he had felt Juugo's presence long before he had arrived.

"For what?" Sasuke forced himself to sound cool and collected as he always did, even when he could feel _something _tugging at his chest and his throat. He couldn't help but swallow, trying to force down the uncomfortable feeling in his throat. It didn't work.

"To go after her," Juugo replied," Karin refused to help, but Suigetsu and I are ready to leave tonight."

For a moment, Sasuke was surprised for the first time in three years. He never realized the loyalty of his 'followers', Juugo and Suigetsu; he hadn't known such a thing since his friendship with Naruto. This time, Sasuke couldn't deny the lump growing in his chest, in the proximate area where his heart lied. He mentally scolded himself, reminding himself that he didn't need these emotions, these feelings, these _bonds_. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he could not squash those feelings as easily as he could three years ago. The hate he had for his brother was gone; he had nothing left to overpower his heart. With a slight pang in his stomach, he knew that if he couldn't control himself here and now, among Team Hebi, then he had no hope of controlling his emotions around his former team...

After long last, after a challenging battle of will, Sasuke found the strength to speak evenly. Without turning his head, he just stared at Itachi's grave and addressed Juugo," No. We'll leave tomorrow morning. With or without Karin."

* * *

Kisame leaned against the entrance, waiting patiently for Sasuke, Juugo, and Suigetsu to walk through the hallway that he face, ready to embark on yet another search. Grudgingly, he glanced down at the redhead standing next to him, who obviously was not very please. Inwardly, he grinned maliciously. Getting the annoying redhead to cooperate had been rather entertaining for Kisame.

As the trio finally approached, Kisame straightened and held something out to Sasuke. Sasuke gave him a wary look, but accepted whatever it was none-the-less.

It was Itachi's Akatsuki ring.

"Haruno was the last one to hold it before Zetsu deactivated the chakra sensor inside it," he explained in a gruff voice," A tiny bit of her chakra is still in it; enough for this brat to recognize. Also, Itachi's cloak had a similar sensor in the collar. The ring is attached to it and will guide you to it. For some reason I cannot fathom, the kunoichi kept it. But it will help you find her."

Suigetsu was the first to blurt out what was on everyone's mind," How do you know the chick has Itachi's cloak? And why did she have his ring?"

Kisame glared at the mini-version of himself, obviously ticked off by the kid's brashness, despite that it was a trait inherited from himself," The cloak wasn't with his ashes,. And it was Haruno who took the ring from Itachi's hand."

"Why are you telling us this?" Sasuke spoke finally in a wary voice. In response, Kisame regarded the last remaining Uchiha with beady eyes. For once in his life, the blue man's face was somber.

"They met once before. Itachi and Haruno. I'm not even sure if either of them ever remembered it, but I sure as Hell do; it was the first time I confimed Itachi still had a soft spot for Konoha," Kisame said," As a kunoichi, I'm sure he symbolized her as Konoha itself; pretty to look at, seeming apparently weak, but could still pack one hell of a hit. He fought every single shinobi in that squadrom; every one but her. She was the only one to walk away completely uninjured. Itachi kept seeing her as Konoha and didn't want to harm her."

"What does that prove?" Suigetsu scowled," It only says that he didn't think of her as a threat."

But Kisame shook his head," Itachi _never_ underestimated _anyone_. Also, right before his battle with Sasuke, he went to speak with the Kyuubi."

Sasuke bit his tongue, stopping himself dropping his jaw with eyes wide.

"He asked the Biju kid is he had the willpower to protect Konoha from anyone, even from his best friend," Kisame continued, lowering his head and directing a dark look at Sasuke," If he was willing to protect the last of Team 7 and Konoha from _you_. At the time, Team 7 consisted of only Haruno, the last member who remained in Konoha. Uzumaki promised."

"_That's_ why I'm bothering to help you brats at all," Kisame finished, finally coming to an end of his speech," Itachi and the brat took a vow to protect Konoha and Team 7. I'm merely completing Itachi's half. So you'd better find Haruno and return her safely to Uzumaki. I'll kill you if you don't."

And with that hanging threat, he walked back into the hideout, leaving Team Hebi to ponder over what he said.

Suigetsu blinked, thoroughly confused," Was Kisame...being _nice_?"

Karin scowled and hit the mini-Kisame over the head," No, you idiot. Fishface feels it's his duty to complete Itachi's half of the deal and deliver the kunoichi back to Uzumaki."

"Geez, you sound so mean whenever you talk about her," Suigetsu murmered and rubbed his sore head," It's not like she's a package we just _deliver_."

"But it doesn't make any sense!" Karin wailed," Why is _she_ so important?! For Kami's sake, even Itachi and Kisame are trying to protect her! She's just a medic-nin; her only usefulness is to heal people during missions. It's not like she's someone important."

"Karin, shut up," Sasuke growled, causing the bitter girl to quickly shut her mouth and her eyes widened in fear.

He glared at her with the Sharingan whirling madly. Even as she stared into those beautiful red eyes, Karin could not understand anything about him. What really went on behind those beautiful eyes of his?

_"I knew someone by the name of Haruno Sakura. But she was a weak kunoichi who was always crying?"_

If that was truly all Sasuke thought about her, then **why** the hell was he going to such lengths to find her? Karin just couldn't understand it.

"So let's go," Juugo said and walked out of the hideout, dragging a Suigetsu after him. The water-nin protested loudly, kicking his feet and complaining that he could walk just fine on his own. But Juugo did not pay any attention to him and proceeded to drag him out of the hideout, until Sasuke and Karin were left alone to stare (or in Sasuke's case, glare) at each other. After a few moments, his glare lessened into a scowl as he held out Itachi's ring.

"Find her," he ordered and tossed the object at her. By the time she deftly caught it, he was already leaving. Her ruby eyes glanced at his back as he disappeared into the sunlight. It all just confused her so much. When Sasuke had looked at her with those gorgeous onyx eyes of his, she had seen an emotion she'd never seen in him before. It only served to make her feel sick to her stomach when she determined the name (or rather, _names_) of the emotions racing in his eyes: worry and the need to protect something. Karin's heart suffered a deep gash, for she knew those emotions were not for _her_.

In retaliation, Karin scowled at the ring in her hand. Such a seemingly harmless object, but contained underlying suffering for her. There was still a tiny trace of Itachi's chakra, something she was well familiar with. For a moment, Karin closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of Itachi's powerful chakra; it never surprised Karin with how much the two brothers' chakras were. If she closed her eyes and just imagined, she could pretend that she was feeling Sasuke's chakra, and not Itachi's. But that moment ended all to soon, and she knew that she had to find the girl's chakra soon.

It was disgustingly light and pure, the kind some medic-nin's have. Green, warm, and light. Karin _hated_ it. It felt so pure, so beatiful, so _loving_. Just by feeling her chakra, Karin could already tell that this Sakura-girl was a motherly woman, with compassion and love for everyone. But no matter how Karin willed herself to hate this girl and her chakra, she could not deny that the chakra felt soothing. It was how most medic-nin's chakra works; their chakras are ridiculously calming and left most of their patients with an urge to feel more.

Closing her eyes, Karin found no sources of chakra even remotely similar to the girl's nearby. Upon opening her eyes, Karin gave a small smile. It was one more day that she could have Sasuke all to herself and not have to share him with another female. Happily, she followed after her male teammates.

* * *

"Oi, Sasuke," Suigetsu called out to the stoic young man when he caught up to him and Juugo," So why _are_ you so bent on finding this chick?" Sasuke glanced up at him, and for a moment, Suigetsu presumed he wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon.

"She was my teammate once," Sasuke surprised him by speaking truthfully," Back when I was in Konoha, she was the only female on our team: me, her, and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Aa, so you were teammates with the Kyuubi brat?" Suigetsu grinned, planning on milking all he could out of Sasuke while he could. It wasn't everyday that Sasuke was willing to talk about his past. Not noticing the devious glint in Suigetsu's eyes, Sasuke nodded.

"During the Chuunin Exams, we fought Gaara no Subaku, the current Kazekage," he continued," At one point, he took her hostage; she almost died that day..."

All of a sudden, he frowned and lowered his head," I don't know how the hell Itachi found out about that day... I made Naruto make me a promise. I told him to protect her, even if it cost him his life..."

"You didn't want her to die," Juugo broke in, sending an understanding glance at his team leader," That is understandable."

"But the reason why Itachi spoke to Naruto about it is _my _fault," Sasuke sighed and raised his head, unable to stop himself from looking up at the clouds above them," I was the first to make him swear to protect Team 7...and I was the first one to stop caring about it. I was the first one to try to kill Team 7..."

Suigetsu gave him an uncertain look," Dude, you tried to kill your teammate? That's so wrong. Does that mean you'll try to kill us too?"

Nothing could compare to the glare Sasuke gave the water-nin...

* * *

_Do more than exist,_

_ Live._

It was peaceful that day; as if nothing could run that day. Sakura hummed non-commitally (sp?) as she bustled around the small kitchen, gathering a pot, pan, spices, and various cooking supplies. She didn't quite know what made this day so special, but she supposed it was just the little things. It had been so sunny that day, yet a breeze kept it from sweltering; the deer had finally returned to this part of the forest, so the men had been out all day, hunting; Sakura had gotten so many herbs harvested today and had successfully concocted a few medicines; and to top it all off, Itachi had even sparred with her today. (She knew he had gone easy on her, especially when she knocked him flat on his back in thirty seconds flat. But her second try around, it took her ten minutes to repeat the action. And each time they went at it again, the time it took her to take him down kept expanding as he kept upping his ante to keep her on her toes. Sakura wasn't going to lie, it felt good to have a sparring partner again, especially one that worked at her own pace, something she was not used to.)

_Do more than touch,_

_ Feel._

A large hand settled on her shoulder when she was bending over to set up a log tepee inside the fireplace. At first, Sakura started and she fell ungracefully to her knees, her head coming dangerously close to the stones above the fireplace. The hand on her shoulder tightened and stopped her just in time to prevent her from hitting her head upon the stones. As the hand on her shoulder moved, Sakura couldn't help but enjoy the warmth radiated from him as he pulled her closer to him and up off her hands and knees. Soon, she leaned back, not wanting to fall forward again and felt her back collide with his legs, while his hand disappeared from her shoulder.

_Do more than look,_

_ See._

As she glanced up at him, Itachi stared back down at her, his stoic face unreadable. A bag was slung over his shoulder, from where Sakura could distinctly smell raw meat. But as she looked up into his eyes, she saw the faint twinkle, letting her know that he was amused by her clumsiness (is that even a word?). Nevermind the fact that if he hadn't startled her, she wouldn't have fallen.

Letting her eyes wander from his own, she glanced at the bag slung over his shoulder. Within it, she knew she would find perfectly cut deer steaks, chops, and other assortment of meat cuts that she knew nothing about. All she knew that Itachi had gone out earlier that day just like the rest of the village men, to hunt for deer. (Knowing him, Sakura had no doubt he broke away from the group within hours and had gone after the herd of deer on his own, using his shinobi abilities to take down the biggest buck, hopefully unknown to the rest of the village.) It was custom for the village to gather after a big hunt and prepare the deer together and split the meat equally among everyone according to family size. Itachi had obviously just returned from the "little meat fest" as Sora lovingly dubbed it.

_Do more than listen,_

_ Understand._

Itachi was the first to speak as she stood up to her full height, which was still regrettably only to his shoulder. "Kimimitsu added your share with mine," he said, lifted the bag for emphasis. Not waiting to see what her answer was, he moved away from her and headed to place the meat in the small ice box they used to keep their food cold. _**(it's one of those boxes they used in old times, where they used large chunks of ice cut from the winter months and stored underground. A cool history fact for you readers. =) ) **_

But Sakura did not miss the underlying truth hidden under his words. Sakura knew full well that in the "little meat fests" (Sora was really rubbing off on her), meat was divided according to _family_. Usually, Itachi and Sakura's shares were put separately, in separate bags. Sakura smiled, knowing that Kimimitsu had done this to point something out to Sakura, whether she liked it or not. Everyone in the village (minus Sora, of course) saw Itachi and Sakura as something more than just housemates. Sakura had made it obvious when she refused to kick the elder Uchiha out of her home. This had shown Kimimitsu, who in turn wanted to prove to Sakura, that she and Itachi were _family_.

_Do more than talk,_

_ Say something._

"Hey Itachi," Sakura spoke out, catching the older man's attention. Itachi never paused in the act of placing the small white packages as he gave the usual 'Hn.'

Sakura smiled at him, causing his to pause momentarily and glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Welcome home, Itachi."

* * *

_**Yay! Finally done with this chapter. It was kind of hard to write this chapter, mostly because of Karin. I don't want to want to show Karin as the annoying, spiteful, downright terrible fangirl that people on this site are so keen on depicting her as. If you read the manga, you'd see that she is a lot like the original Sakura: brash, loud, but harbors a (sometimes not so secret) crush on Sasuke. But unlike the Karin in most fanfics, the real Karin (and the one I'm trying to write) does not let her feelings affect her judgement and missions. **_

_** Also, this chapter was supposed to be all about Team Hawk, but I just couldn't help but add that last bit. I wanted to add a cute poem that I found, but thought it would be cute to use it to show the relationship between Itachi and Sakura. These are only some of the lines of the poem, but I still think I got my message across. =)**_

_** Now click the little green letters below this and review! **_


	6. The Destruction

_**I'm back bitches! Special thanks to xlazypyscho! (remember, worthwhile review = special thanks in chapters) Also, I recieved about one comment on whether to keep Sora and Kirei. Let me know what you want done to the little OC's.**_

_**Also, I'm hoping to find some beta's for some of my stories. Go ahead and read some of my other stories, and if you or know of someone else who wants to, please be my beta. A second opinion is always best for stories. =)**_

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* * *

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_**Also note that there has been a time skip between this chapter and the last. Beginning this chapter, it has been approximately:**_

_**eight months since Sakura left the village and since she healed the Uchiha brothers; **_

_**four months since she's been living with Itachi; **_

_**four months since Naruto began his search for Sasuke and Ino began her search for the truth about Sakura; **_

_**and only a few weeks since Sasuke began his own search for Sakura. I hope that cleared up the timeline for you! ^_^**_

It was raining outside the wide hotel window; the rain pounding harsh against the window pane. It fell from the skies in torrents, as if the very heavens were crying...for their tiny beloved village. Kirei stared outside the window, watching the droplets of water slither their way down the window pane, leaving wet little trails in their wake, like a tear-stained face. How much Kirei wanted to be like the sky; to cry her heart out and pour her grief out of her like the rushing of the rain, cleansing her soul. But no matter how hard she tried, the tears would no longer come. She had no more tears, and could only sit back and let the sky cry for her.

"Sora-nii, I'm hungry," she turned away from the window and spoke in her cute child voice to her older brother. How much Kirei wanted to cry, but she knew that she had to stay strong for her brother. She had to stay strong and be happy for what she still had. She had to be strong for her mother, who never cried, even in the face of danger.

Sora glanced up at her with tired and dead eyes. He sat with his back against the wall, with his head back and his eyes fixated on the ceiling before looking over at the little girl. He was tired, oh so tired, but he was all Kirei had left. He had to be strong for her.

"We'll eat soon," he mustered up a smile for her, although a weak one," I'm sure Itachi will be back soon."

"Alright," Kirei nodded meekly and stared back out the window, watching the heavens cry. Behind her, she heard Sora let out a sigh and knew that he was now staring at the person lying in the middle bed. Even without turning around, Kirei knew there were three beds lying upon the floor, each placed so close together, that if they wanted to, it could be turned into one huge bed to accomodate three people. And in the center bed, the reason why the other two were placed so close to it, lied the comatose body of Haruno Sakura.

Kirei did not even have to close her eyes to remember how Sakura looked; she had not changed in three days. Even though she never woke up, she appeared frozen in time. Her delicate face that was once wracked with grief now settled into a peaceful expression and even her breathing was even paced. But nothing they did could wake her. Itachi said that she committed what very few medic-nin's did; she placed herself into a self-induced coma. There was only one way to wake her up, the trigger, but those triggers were very unique to each medic-nin and could not be discovered so easily. Sakura would never wake up until that trigger was found and pulled, or until she wanted to wake up again.

Sora bit his lip, thinking back to when this whole mess began. To believe that it was only three days ago when it all happened; only three days ago that Sakura fell into a deep coma; only three days since Kirei last slept. Still fresh in his mind, the memories pained Sora and gave him nightmares in the few hours that he managed to sleep.

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_Scream filled the village, shattering the peaceful silence. They descended upon the innocent villagers like a locust plague, destroying everything in their path. The ROOT operatives were merciless in their warpath, determined to bring this great village down to its knees. _

_"Go get Doc now!" Kimimitsu screamed at Sora and Kirei when Sora hauled a dying Ryuga inside their home. Kimimitsu had to look at Ryuga only once to know that he was beyond her care and needed Yuki Sakura if he was to survive. Without further ado or even a second thought, Sora made to grab little Kirei and burst out of the house like a cannonball and head straight for Sakura's house. It was only when he picked her up that he realized she was holding an intricately carved sword and scabbard in her hands. _

_"Your katana, Sora-nii," she said, holding the deadly beautiful object out to him with her eyes wide, not quite knowing the significance of that sword. His own eyes widened for a second, surprised that she even knew about it and his hand tentatively reached out, but froze before he could take the katana in his hand._

_Nervous, he looked to Kimimitsu for guidance and she nodded back at him," It's who you __**are**__, Sora. Now you must protect your home with it." _

_Sora could feel something catch in the back of his throat as his hand finally wound around the hilt of the sword, but when the weight of the katana finally rested in the palm of his hand, all of his worries vanished. It felt too __**right**__ to hold this deadly beautiful thing to be evil. With a silent tear, Sora vowed that he would use this sword to protect his home. _

_"Now go!" Kimimitsu ordered him again and in a flash, he was out the back door, Kirei tightly latched onto his back. _

_Sakura and Itachi's small cottage was in blazes when they burst out of the treeline into the front yard. Sora halted to a stop, stumbling to his knees and dropping Kirei, who rolled gracefully onto the ground before rising to see the horrific sight herself. The lead ROOT operative, the Captain, and two others stood on all sides of the cottage. The Captain looked on as the other two blew great jets of fire from their mouths at the cottage, fueling the flames even more. _

_"No!" Kirei screamed, fearing that Sakura and Itachi were trapped inside that cottage, burning to death. In her fear, she made to run forward, but Sora caught a hold of her and held her still. But it was too late. The ROOT Captain turned his head to look at her, as well as the other two. The jets of flame ceased, but the cottage remained burning. _

_"Stay behind me, Kirei," Sora ordered and drew the katana from it's scabbard. Scared, speechless, and not knowing what else to do, Kirei obeyed and hid behind Sora's legs, clutching the scabbard close to her heart. With this, she felt a little bit safer, as if the scabbard would protect her if Sora could not. _

_Sora stood facing the ROOT shinobi, expertly poised with the katana. No emotion crossed his face, as he had been trained, and his eyes rose to meet his opponents'._

_"Stand down boy before you hurt yourself," one of them ordered in a cruel, harsh voice," You stand no chance against us."_

_"Try the other way around," Sora said evenly, calmly closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again. When his blue eyes reopened for all the world to see, a look of such determination and valor shone from his eyes, that it simply amazed Kirei. His grip tightened on the sword and he widened his stance a tiny bit more, trying to get reaccostomed to the feeling. _

_The ROOT shinobi growled in return and began to advance._

_"Your fight is with me, assholes!" Sakura's pure and melodic voice was now harsh and loud as it rang from the burning home. Shocked, all the men turned and glanced at the blazing cottage in time to see something red explode from the roof. In its wake, the cottage finally collapsed into itself. _

_Clad in a red outfit Sora's never seen her in before, Sakura before the burning flames; her hair whipping all around her fiery eyes. With those eyes, she glared at the ROOT operatives, the Captain in particular. Sora could not lie, she looked so mighty and powerful standing there, with the flames at her back and such strong emotions burning bright in her eyes. _

_"Why you-" a ROOT operative threw a kunai at her," You should be dead!" Sakura just smiled that insanely calm smile and let the kunai bury itself deep within her shoulder._

_"Baka," she said simply before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. _

_"It's a shadow clone, damnit!" the Captain swore loudly before addressing his lackeys," You take care of them, I'm going after her!" And with that, he sped off into the forest. _

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

"I see Itachi-kun," Kirei announced happily, still staring outside the window," And he has yummy bags!" Sora could not stop the smile coming onto his face; Kirei was still trying to understand the concept of take-out. After all, there had been no such thing back in their old village.

About two minutes later, the door to their hotel room opened and Itachi stepped in. He was soaking wet, but didn't seem to care as he slipped his shoes off and discarded the green cloak.

Kirei's eyes were bright as she accepted the take-out bags from him. Inside, Itachi wanted to smirk, amused at her happiness over food, but could not bring himself to it. Instead, as Kirei began to take everything out of the bag and set it upon the small table, he all but glided over to Sakura's side and sat upon his own bed.

"She hasn't even flinched since you left, so don't bother asking," Sora said gruffly, not moving from his spot on the wall. Itachi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing and remained seated at her side.

"Here you go, Sora-nii," Kirei smiled cheerfully ('_just like Sakura used to'_ Sora thought painfully) as she walked up to him and handed him his own food. He tried to smile genuinely for her, he really did, but he could never feel the smile reach his eyes. In the end, he mumbled an arigatou and took the food from her. Itachi did the same and let Kirei 'happily' skip back to her own food sitting at the windowsill.

For the longest time, they sat in silence. Every now and then, Itachi would tear his eyes away from Sakura and glance at Kirei, still amazed to see her smiling...

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_"Kimimitsu-san, I __**need **__that mask," Itachi damned all politeness and confronted the village leader with a determined look in his eyes as he appeared in the doorway. Kimimitsu seemed not surprised by his sudden appearance, nor his lack of manners, and tossed something black his way. With speed of a well seasoned shinobi (yet another thing Kimimitsu was surprisingly not startled by), he caught it; it was a full face mask, with a long slit for his eyes to see through. Without further ado, he pulled it over his head, completing his all black composition, and emerged looking like a classic black-clad ninja._

_"Stay here," he ordered Kimimitsu, who was tending Ryuga's wounds," I'm going after Sakura." Kimimitsu smiled minutely, realizing as he left that he had thought first of Sakura, and nothing else. She smiled even more, realizing that he had called their doctor by her given name, something he made a point to never call her; he only addressed her as Doc, like the rest of the village had... But little did either of them know that the remaining ROOT operatives would soon descend upon their house, just like they did the rest of the village..._

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_Sakura had never fought someone as ruthless and desperate as the ROOT captain, even when against Sasori or Orochimaru; they had fought with precision and grace, something this man did not possess. She remembered eight months ago, as she escaped Konoha, this very same man had nearly been the death of her. Even now, he was just as determined to kill her and seemed determined to do it in the most violent way possible. _

_But back then, she had been running. Now she had a village to protect. These people took her in and loved her like one of their own; she could not turn her back on them; she could not abandon them. No, she had to stay and fight for them. _

_"You're a bit braver than eight months ago," he taunted," If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to protect this pathetic village."_

_He had to have been a master of clones. Everytime Sakura thought she had him, he would just reappear somewhere else. In the back of her mind, she registered that the one she always hit never vanished in a cloud of smoke. No, he would simply appear somewhere else, and when she'd look back at the body, it would be gone. _

_"But it's beyond me why __**you**__ would want to protect them," he sneered at her, making her blood boil," Your a __**murderer**__."_

_"Shut up!" she roared and punched him into oblivion, only to have him reappear right behind her," I'm not a-" She choked on her own words, unable to bring herself to lie. Everytime she tried, Danzou and the faces of all those that she's killed in the past, on that fateful night, appeared before her eyes; covered in their own blood. _

_"See?" he grinned," You can't even deny it."_

_"!" she screamed loudly, covering her ears and shaking her head violently. She couldn't take it anymore. The memories of what she's done haunted her too much; they haunted her dreams; they haunted her very existence; she was as dead as the ones she's killed. _

_The ROOT Captain smirked; he had been waiting for this moment..._

_"You're mine now," he appeared directly behind her, his malice showing clearly in his eyes and voice. In less than a second, one hand pinned her arms to her sides and the other held a kunai close to her throat. She gasped, both furious with herself for letting her emotions get the best of her __**again**__, but even more afraid of the Captain. She knew what he was capable of..._

_Shivers of pure and unadulterated fear raced all along her spine when he lowered his head to her neck and took a deep breath._

_"Mmm, you smell of fear," he grinned maliciously,"...Just my kind of woman."_

_She tried to scream. Really, she did. She opened her mouth and tried to let the fear out of her when he slowly drew the kunai across her neck, his tongue slithering out to lick the blood running down her neck. But she couldn't move; so frozen in fear she was._

_It was a shallow cut; nothing life endangering. But his evil surrounded her completely; it suffocated her. Lightly licking the blood dripping from her neck, he was drinking in her fear with complete ecstacy._

_"Remember what I said?" he whispered in her ear, thoroughly enjoying the shivers running along her spine," I told you I'd make you suffer; make you wish I'd just kill you...I've had eight whole months to think exactly how I'm going to..."_

_"Rest assured, I don't need eight months to torture you," a rough voice cut through the air like a knife. _

_It all happened so fast, that Sakura barely had time to keep up. All she knew that within one tenth of a second, she was yanked from the Captain's arms and an arm made of iron pulled her into a taunt chest. She heard a loud sound, as her savior's fist collided with the Captain's face, then another loud crash, as his body smashed into a tree. With surprised green eyes, Sakura looked up into her saviors face, only to see a face covered with black material, but the eyes showing through were even darker. _

_"Ita-" she whimpered, but quickly shut her mouth; she could not afford to give away his identity when he's worked so hard to keep it a secret from the outside world. His onyx eyes looked down at her impassively, but she could've sworn she felt his body twitch when she almost said her name. _

_The next second, she was pulled harshly away from his chest and she feared the ROOT Captain had her once again. But a blink later, she was staring at Itachi's back with his arm outstretched to keep her behind him. _

_**'He trusts me enough to let him face his back while he's distracted by another opponent?' **__she thought meekly, surprised by this sudden protective side of him._

_"Go back to the village, Sakura," Itachi ordered, never taking his eyes off the ROOT Captain, who was standing up," They need you there." She could only nod mutely, never noticing how he had spoken her name for the first time, and ran off towards the village. _

_"Oh no you don't!" the ROOT Captain made a rush at her with a kunai. She dodged it expertly, not wanting to be caught by him again, and did a backflip away from him. The next second, the Captain was destroyed as Itachi punched a hole through his heart, but he just appeared on the other side of the clearing, glaring hard at Itachi. Itachi glanced at her and she locked eyes with him; his stern eyes were the last thing she saw before she took to the trees again._

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

"We should leave soon," Itachi spoke all of a sudden," I don't want to stay in one place for very long." Sora frowned and set down his food. Kirei pouted from her spot on the windowsill.

"So soon?" she pouted cutely," Shouldn't we wait for Doc to wake up?" At her words, all three of them spared glances at the motionless figure, all except for Itachi, who never really looked away from her.

"We don't know when she'll wake up, Kirei," Sora said quietly, with a hint (a rather large hint) of sadness in his voice and eyes. He looked up at the youngest of them all, nearly crying himself when he saw the tears welling up in her blue eyes. "Come here," he opened his arms in an invitation. Without another word, Kirei leapt from the windowsill and ran over to her older brother and into his arms, thankful taht she still had someone to love and take care of her.

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_"No, Kirei! Stay back here!" Sora held onto his little sister as she desperately fought to escape his grasp._

_"No!" she screamed," Mama! Mama! Where's Mama!?" Tears ran freely from her eyes; she just wanted the day to end; to hear her mother say everything would be alright. Her mother, Kimimitsu, __**always**__ made everything alright. She __**had**__ to make everything alright, especially now after her little girl had seen so much in this one day. She had seen her kind and gentle brother __**kill**__ not two, but __five__ men in an effort to protect her. She had heard the explosion as it wracked havoc on the forest. She had felt the heat of the fire. She had seen Itachi walk out of the forest and admit to Sora that that horrible man who tried to hurt Sakura had gotten away from him._

_And now she wasn't allowed to see her own mother?_

_Kirei could see Itachi standing with his back to her, standing amid the remaining villagers, looking down at something white and red. Hidden to her view, but not to her ears, Kirei could hear Sakura shouting and sobbing all at the same time," Wake up! C'mon, open your eyes! Wake up, damnit!"_

_"Sakura..." Itachi spoke calmly, his use of her name once again going unnoticed as he stood above a kneeling Sakura," She's gone."_

_"No, she __**can't**__ be!" Sakura cried. But Itachi's expression never changed._

_"There's nothing more you can do," he told her," Kimimitsu is dead."_

_"NOOOO!!!" Kirei screamed as loud as she possibly could, hearing Itachi say those three words; the three words that would forever haunt her," Mama! Not Mama!" As she cried, Sora took her in his arms and tried to comfort her. But tears streamed down his cheeks as well as he closed his eyes, trying to block out the truth. _

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_Sakura could not stop herself as she looked over her shoulder. Peering though the gap between Itachi's legs, she saw Sora and Kirei sobbing uncontrollably. Slowly, she drew her eyes up Itachi's body until she locked eyes with him. He had long ago torn off the mask, unable to stand it any more. His eyes were unreadable, as she knew full well that her own eyes must be red with tears and exhaustion._

_Emotions welled up within her and her whole body shook with the effort to keep it all under control. Kimimitsu...She was always so kind; always taking care of everyone. She gave everything and expected nothing in return. She even gave her life to protect Ryuga from the invading shinobi..._

_Sora and Kirei were orphans now, with nowhere left to go. Kirei would never again see her mother or know a mother's love again. Who could she talk to as she grew up, needing a real mother's advice? Who could love her as only her mother could? Who could she turn to when she needed her true mother? Who could possibly replace Kimimitsu? _

_And then there was Itachi. How could he simply stand there and not feel the same pain she felt? Kimimitsu had loved and cared for him the same as she had for Sora and Sakura. Even when she asked herself these questions, she knew the answer. Itachi was familiar with death; he knew it inside and out, knowing it was something that everyone must go through sometime. _

_Sakura didn't know why his eyes made her remember that night, but just looking into his eyes, she remembered the night Sasuke had left the village. Had left __**her**__. She had been there to try and stop him, to show that he had a home with her and Team 7._

_But there had been no one to bring her back the night she left Konoha forever..._

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

_Kirei looked back to her mother's pale body, now visible through the throng of people, with tear filled eyes. Kimimitsu looked so pure, with her silver hair and her white kimono. It was stained with blood, but the white still shone through brightly. Kirei saw Sakura kneeling beside Kimimitsu, but her eyes were turned upwards toward Itachi's face. He looked down at her in return, but Kirei could not see his face. But there was something in Sakura's eyes; something that made Kirei want to cry all over again._

_Finally, Sakura toppled over, so unexpectedly that Itachi didn't even have time to catch her. Kirei screamed for Sakura, feeling her throat burning from being overused, but her fear was greater than her pain. She feared that Sakura had died, just like her mother just did. But even as Sakura's eyes closed; even as Itachi kneeled over her body, trying to shake her awake; Kirei could still see her eyes. Could still see the pain in them. It was a look that could torment her dreams for weeks to come._

_The look of complete and utter hopelessness._

~S~E~C~O~N~D~C~H~A~N~C~E~

He sat in a bar, just sitting there and listening to the conversations going on all around him. His face was sullen and weary from long travels and all he wanted right now was a nice hot back and a soft bed.

"Oi, Naruto-kun!" a familiar voice rose above the gentle roar of the tavern. Naruto raised his head and blinked until the green blob in front of him focused into a comprehensible person.

"Bushy-brows?" Naruto blinked, confusion written all over his face," Why are you here?"

Rock Lee took a seat beside him and diligently held out a very thin manila envelope. "Ino-chan told me to find you," he explained as Naruto took the envelope," About two weeks ago, she finally managed to get Shizune-san to let her in the Archives. But Sakura-chan's file was missing. Three days ago, she found this."

Curious and still confused, Naruto tore open the manila envelope and pulled out a nearly empty folder. Within it were two more folders, each as nearly empty as the first. The first was labeled 'Haruno Sakura' and in a hurry, he opened it.

A lone picture of his only female teammate fluttered out and onto the bar. Both men froze and stared at the smiling face of the girl they both loved.

"This is it?" Naruto whimpered," Sakura-chan's file is just...gone? But I thought we'd find proof that she didn't do it..."

"True," Rock Lee agreed," I'm even wondering if those surveillance tapes the Council told us about even exist..."

Naruto said nothing and instead opened the other folder without looking at the name. A small picture the same size as Sakura's fluttered down and landed right over Sakura's, but upside down. Tentatively, Naruto reached out and flipped it over.

The older brother of Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, looked up at their shocked faces with the trademark Uchiha stare...

"I guess you _really_ need to find Sasuke-kun now..."

_**THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! I'm so so sooooo sorry! This was such a sad chapter to write; the destruction of Second Chance. I tried to capture the actual event along with the emotions everyone went through afterward and how it's still affecting them. It was very hard to keep Itachi in character, as I kept wanting to turn him into a more affectionate person with Sakura, but their relationship hasn't quite formed all the way. **_

_**As usual, please review and tell me what you liked about the chapter.**_


	7. The Farewell

_**Ni hao wo de pengyou!**_

_**Hello my friends! Special thanks to Rosenkreuz Orden!**_

It was decided they would leave tomorrow morning, before the sun rose and everyone would wake up and they risked being seen. Sora and Itachi had unanimously agreed that leaving in secret was the best thing to do; they didn't know how many ROOT operatives still in the area and having eye witnesses was not in their best interests. When asked about their destination, Itachi merely answered," Uzumaki Naruto."

Sora blinked, not recognizing the name," What?"

Itachi looked at the younger man sharply, annoyed for some unknown reason. "Do you mean to tell me that you don't know of the jinchuuriki?" He frowned slightly, then gave a sound that to Sora sounded a lot like a scoff," And you think you know about the shinobi world."

Sora narrowed his eyes at the dark man," I am well acquainted in the world of war, Uchiha. But please, do enlighten me on this Uzumaki Naruto."

Itachi's were dark and flashing when he narrowed his own at the blue eyed brunette. Seeing that dark look in his eyes, Sora smirked. If he had learned anything in the past four months, it was that Itachi hated it when Sora poked fun at his formal habits and way of speaking. Sora shot Itachi a challenging look, daring him to say something about it.

"He is her teammate," Itachi didn't take the bait and spoke in a calm and even voice. With a glance at Sakura, Sora knew that Itachi meant that this Uzumaki was Sakura's shinobi teammate; Sora knew of the common three man cells that shinobi were usually placed on. In the back of his head, he vaguely wondered who her second teammate was...

"If any one person can wake her up, it would be him," Itachi finished in an impassive voice. Sora looked away from Sakura to lock eyes with Itachi once more, but frowned when he saw that infuriating emotionless expression. That expression told Sora everything he needed to know; that expression showed that any emotions Itachi felt in that village, any feelings that showed that he even remotely cared for them...was gone. That look told Sora that Itachi really didn't care for Sakura anymore...

"I recognize that damn look, Uchiha," Sora gritted his teeth, his own blue eyes darkening to a somber navy like they used to do," You just want to get as far away from us as you possibly can." Itachi narrowed his onyx eyes at Sora and opened his mouth, obviously ready with a snappy retort; Kami knows the man was full of them; but Sora continued before he could speak," You don't really care if Sakura wakes up, do you? You just don't want to take care of her in the meantime. Was it all a lie? An act? Pretending that you were this some noble man with a sad past, so you came to our village and try to start over." Sora gritted his teeth even louder, feeling anger rise in his chest, threatening to explode. He didn't know where all of this was coming; perhaps it had been building up over the months, building and building until all it needed was one little push.

"_She_ believed all of it," he growled and motioned to Sakura's unmoving body with a sweep of his arm," She believed that you were a good person and would hit me before I could say otherwise. And what does she get in return? An emotionless, uncaring missing-nin who doesn't give a shit and only wants to dump her onto someone else to take care of while you go back to living your pathetic rogue ninja life."

He wanted Itachi to yell at him; to glare at him; throw a shuriken at him; _something_! But Itachi's expression never changed as he continued to stare at him like he was talking about the weather. The only indication Sora saw that Itachi was angered was the flash of red in Itachi's eyes. For a fleeting second, as Sora saw that flash, he felt an intense fear, one unlike any other time in his life. It wracked his entire body and he took a sharp intake, trying to calm down his racing heart. But then Itachi's black eyes were staring at him again and Sora's fear resided.

"Kirei, why don't you go play in the lobby," Itachi suggested in an _almost_ even voice, his eyes never leaving Sora's person.

"But-" she began to protest.

"_Now_, Kirei," Sora snapped and she hurriedly jumped up and made straight for the door. When she left, the door closed behind her with a soft click that echoed throughout the room.

"You really shouldn't speak about things you don't know about," Itachi said, his voice sounding a bit gruffer than usual.

Sora scoffed," I know plenty. I know that she was _terrified _of you when you first came. She told us to run, yet the next day, I found out that she was letting you _live_ with her."

"That was of her own choice," Itachi muttered.

"I don't think she even knows who you really _are_, Uchiha," Sora continued as if he didn't hear him," Why the hell else would she be so kind to you? So damn protective of you? She doesn't know who you really are: a murdering, lying, bastard."

Sora saw the telltale of Itachi's teeth clenching and the older man's voice was raspy when he finally spoke," She knows _exactly_ who I am," his eyes glared at Sora for the first time during their fight," She knows what I've done; she knows every little detail. And in return, I know all about her. I know why she refused to kill me; why she's so kind to everyone, even me."

"Well tell me then, because _I_ don't fucking know why," Sora growled.

"You don't know _anything_," Itachi spat out," You think you do, when in fact, you don't even know who _she_ is. You don't even know her real name."

"And I suppose _you_ do?"

"We're from the same _village_, for Kami's sake," Itachi growled in return, for a moment enjoying the surprise in Sora's eyes," She's _Haruno_ Sakura of Konoha, just like I was. Above all, she's a medic-nin, who places everyone before herself and doesn't have the heart to be a cold blooded killer. I owe my life to her, just like thousands of others, and to pay back my debt, I must bring her back to her teammate."

Sora quickly recovered from his shock of hearing just how well acquainted Itachi and Sakura were, but his blood was heating up too much, his heart pumping too fast," So what about us, then? Kirei and I are just pieces of scrap you picked up on your personal mission? What happens when you get rid of Sakura? Are we supposed to thank you for not killing us on the basis of your moral values?"

"You're a missing-nin and murderer!" Sora roared, as if the fact had been forgotten," Your word can't be trusted. You shinobi, especially all you murderers, your word means _nothing. _But if you want, I'll fucking thank you. So thank you!"

Itachi was going to kill him. Sora was so sure of it by the look of pure rage in the missing-nin's eyes. The room went deathly silent as the two men faced off. Sora bravely (foolishly, in Itach's mind) looked him defiantly in the eyes; he was a goddamn samurai and samurai fear _nothing_, especially death. Meanwhile, Itachi was silently wondering if it was worth it to just kill this headache of a man and just ask for Sakura's forgiveness later. Not that he wanted her forgiveness for anything.

In the end, it was Sakura's quiet and pained voice that broke them out of their intense focus," Sasuke...Don't go..."

Sora was so surprise, that he nearly fell over, mentally frowning when Itachi seemed unaffected. But he quickly dismissed it and rushed to Sakura's side, forgetting all about Itachi and their fight.

"You are distracted too easily," Itachi berated, but said nothing else. Sora glanced at him momentarily; so Itachi was worried just as much as he was. He saw Itachi's dark eyes flicker over Sakura's body, finally landing on her face; she remaining in her deep slumber. She fretted fitfully, clenching her fists and grinding her teeth almost painfully. Her eyes were shut tight and Sora noted with a pang in his heart that tears were threatening to pour out of her beautiful green eyes onto the pillow.

"Sakura?" he reached out for her hand; she was so _cold_," Wake up, Doc. Please wake up."

"That's not going to help," Itachi pointed out," She'll only respond to the trigger." Sora shot him a particularly nasty look.

"Well do you have any brilliant ideas?" he spat out. Once again, Itachi didn't take the bait and continued to carefully study Sakura's face, his gaze stern and calculating.

"...She responded when you shouted 'thank you'," he murmured," Then she called out for Sasuke..."

Sora looked up at him with questioning eyes," So who the hell is this Sasuke guy? Do we have to find him before she wakes up?"

Itachi shook his head, his bangs waving slightly at the small movement," Not necessarily..." With his eyes never leaving Sakura's face, he kneeled down close to her side.

"Who is he?"

For a moment, Sora thought Itachi wasn't going to answer, but was proven wrong yet again," He was her former teammate...And my little brother..." Sora could not miss how Itachi's eyes softened when Sakura opened her mouth to silently scream; just what the hell kind of brother did Itachi have? He was like a nightmare to Sakura; if her pain was any indication.

"Apparently, my foolish brother thanking her holds some signifance to her," Itachi finally mused, a hint of a smirk working its way onto his face," At least enough to be the trigger." And with that, he raised his hands and formed a simple handsign.

When the cloud of smoke cleared, a younger man kneeled in Itachi's place; a young man who could almost pass of as his double if his hair were only a little longer. Sora unconciously felt his hand land on the hilt of his katana, unsure about this new man. Although he's heard of shinobi being able to change their appearance at will...

The new man leaned closer to Sakura, bending at the waist to place his lips near her ear. "Sakura..." he said softly, as if hesitating," Thank you."

He ended up barely dodging a well thrown punch. Thrown off balance, he fell back onto his bottom as Sakura rose just as quickly as her fist had. Before she could attack, Itachi released the jutsu. Upon realising that it was just Itachi, Sakura froze in her tracks, her green eyes wide. Itachi's dark eyes narrowed at her, annoyed that she had attacked him without warning. But she wasn't paying any attention to him; her mind reeling her back to the memories of her coma...

_Sakura was mortified and broken at the realization in front of her. The body of Kimimitsu lay stretched before her; heavy heavy proof that this was real... She faced the sky with a smile upon her lips even in death. Even death itself could not wipe away the mother's pure soul; her kind joy; her love; her brave heart. _

_Kimimitsu truly lived up to her name...a powerful beauty without equal. No one could equal this woman's heart and her courage. Even as she was dying, Kimimitsu's thoughts were only on others._

_**'Kirei will grow up, like she was supposed to. But she needs a mother. Protect her, love her, teach her to be strong. She needs you, Sakura,'**__ Kimimitsu's final words echoed over and over in Sakura's head. She screamed for her to come back, to open her eyes again and tell them that everything would be okay. Kirei needed __**her**__, her mother; Sakura needed her; the whole village needed her!_

_Amid her screams, the scene before her changed to the forest of Konoha. The clash of kunai rang in her ears and she was running fast; faster than she could ever remember running. Out of habit, she looked left and right to see if her teammates were alright. _

_The empty space hit her like an arrow; this was the night she defected from Konoha. She was __**alone**__. Sakura was no longer part of a team; she was no longer part of Konoha. She was on her own, now and forever, and __**no one**__ was coming to bring her back home..._

_As if conjured by that thought, the scene flashed and she was back in Konoha. The streets were quiet and the moon rose high in the dark velvet sky. Sakura stood on a small street running through the park; the street that led straight to the Gates. _

_"Why?" a soft voice spoke in a raspy voice, as if they had been crying," Why do you have to leave us?'_

_Eyes wide, Sakura noticed the little 12 year old standing in the middle of the street, facing a boy around the age of 13. This was the night Sasuke left the village._

_She tried to close her eyes and turn away from the painful memory, but no matter how much she willed herself, she could not look away. With tears running down her own face, she was forced to relive that night. To see the tears that she had shed years ago for him; to hear him call her annoying again; to remember the pain of that night. _

_When Sakura watched the younger Sasuke suddenly appear behind her younger self, she knew what was coming next. The short and simple sentence that would haunt her for years to come. _

_But to her horror, those words never came. Just when he opened his mouth, the scene changed and Sakura was sitting in front of Kimimitsu's body again. This horrifying nightmare replayed itself over and over again, always ending at the same time...Never completing the pain she felt..._

_"Sakura," her ears perked up, finally hearing Sasuke speak something after this nightmare for the seventeenth time. She gritted her teeth, more than ready to hear his sorry ass excuse. She was __**Haruno Sakura**__ for Kami's sake! She poured her heart out to this boy; she loved him when everyone in the village gave up on him; she deserved more than a fucking 'thank you'! Sakura swore to herself, she would make him pay._

_"Thank you."_

_The world went very bright when she threw a punch at her former teammate, unleashing all of her pain and anger in that single punch, determined to make him understand her anguish..._

But when she missed, Sakura just launched herself for another attack. But before she could land a hit on the deserving bastard, a cloud of smoke blocked her vision of him. When the smoke cleared, she found herself glaring into the eyes of not Uchiha Sasuke, but of his brother, Uchiha Itachi.

"I-Itachi?' she blinked, not quite believing what she was seeing. He narrowed his dark eyes at her, obviously annoyed by attack. With a sudden jolt, Sakura realized that she was no longer in her dream world. If she was correct, she was in a hotel room, standing in front of Itachi who had fallen onto the floor and now glaring up at her with Sora sitting behind her, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I believe that was a little unnecessary, Haruno," Itachi frowned, still angry about her reaction to the trigger. Sakura frowned right back, but said nothing. Instead, she intently studied him; he was different, but how?

He was still the same old Itachi that she came to know, but he seemed a bit more...tired? Indeed, now that she focused, she could see the faint circles under his eyes, indicating that he was indeed sleep deprived. His eyes lacked their usual luster, suggesting stress. Glancing back at Sora, Sakura saw the same thing.

"How..." she bowed her head, speaking quietly," How long was I like that?"

It was Sora, not Itachi, who answered her question," Four days."

Four entire days? To Sakura, her dreaming felt like simply hours. It all had passed so quickly, flashing before her eyes, taunting her with the darkest moments of her past. Taking a deep breath, those memories flashed behind her eyes once more as she closed them for a moment. A broken and beautiful Kimimitsu; an empty space at her side; the boy she loved leaving her behind; a little pink haired girl with tears in her eyes; her best friend waving goodbye as he walked away from Konoha...

When she opened her eyes again, Sora's blue eyes were looking back at her, blocking her view of Itachi completely. Tired and concerned eyes as blue as the sky met with broken green orbs as the two gazed at each other.

"Doc..." Sora nearly whimpered, his voice sounding as if it was about to crack," Are you sure you're okay? I-I mean...I'm worried about you..." Almost unconsciously, he minutely glanced back at Itachi, who tried to appear emotionless, but could not hide the look of concern in his eyes as he also gazed at Sakura.

Sakura's eyes softened as she looked at both men before Sora blocked her view again. Both of them were concerned about her, something she hadn't felt for so long. For too long, it had been her caring for others; protecting them and their happiness. In the academy, she was picked on and had no friends. In Team 7, she was their mother, believing in Naruto when no one else did and loving Sasuke when he had no one else. As a medic-nin, she cared for numerous people, determined to save their lives. And as Yuki Sakura, she cared for the villagers and even for Itachi, trying to make his as happy as he could possibly be.

She was always caring and giving, never taking or recieving. But here now, here were two men who were actually _worried _about her...

Before she could help it, a smile broke onto her face and she locked Sora into a bone crushing hug. "Yes,I'm okay, Sora-kun. Thank you. Thank you so much," she cried, for once not feeling that pang in her heart at the sound of those two words 'thank you'. He cared for her; he really cared for her. And so did Itachi. They may not be the three men she wanted most, but there was no replacing Sora and Itachi. Just as Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi were Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi, Sora and Itachi were Sora and Itachi. At long last, she had finally gained the one thing she always wanted: a family that cared for her, that stood by her side even through her worst. These two men (and Kirei, for Sakura doubted the young child would stand for being left behind) stayed at her side when she suffered through her self induced coma. Most men would've left her behind in someplace they deemed safe, but these two were still here. It was more than she could've ever asked for.

Confused, but relieved, Sora returned her hug. A smile of his own appeared on his face, and his embrace tightened. He turned his head slightly and buried his face in her pink hair, her precious pink hair that he loved seeing more than the starlight. "I'm just happy you're okay, Doc," he whispered into her hair," You gave us quite a scare."

She laughed meekly, only tightening her embrace. All too soon, she released him and stepped away. Sora was obviously displeased by separating from her, but respected her wishes as her emerald eyes landed on Itachi. While she was not paying attention, he had stood up and was now closer to the door than previous. Now, he faced her with a straight face and the aura of one torn between two decisions.

With bold, confident strides, Sakura waltzed up to Itachi and planted her feet not two feet in front of him. Not stepping back, he gazed back down at her burning green eyes and felt his heart leap at seeing the life in those eyes once again. A smile was on her face, but that to be expected.

Sakura couldn't explain the feelings that were exploding in her heart at that moment. Looking back, she guess she would've said she felt..._lightened._ It felt as if some heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and deep in her heart, she felt that part of that relief came from Itachi. Even if he meant it or not.

"I don't know why you came back for me at the village, but I'll never forget it," she said to him," You saved my life, Itachi, and you're still here even after everything. Thank you." Almost immediately, she saw the light in his eyes fade as his eyes themselves fell away from her face.

"I am sorry," he said quietly, for once in his life, not feeling brave enough to look her in the eyes as he said this," But this is where I must leave. As you've said yourself, I've saved your life and have therefore paid my debt to you. A life for a life. We are even, as you would say it."

With whatever courage he had left to face this petite young woman, he raised his dark eyes to look into her green ones," I cannot stay here any longer. This is goodbye...Doc."

To his utter confusion, Sakura did not seem surprised to hear his confession. Instead, her smile softened even more if possible. Instead, it was as if she was expecting this all along.

"I understand, Itachi," she gave him the most heartbreaking smile he's ever seen in his life," But I'm still happy you stayed for as long as you have. If truth be told, you are much different from the Uchiha Itachi I've expected all my life...and I like the real you much more. Don't forget that you're someone special, Itachi. If you ever need a home to return to, don't forget that we're here too."

If Sora had anything to say against Sakura offering home and kinship to Itachi, he said nothing about it. Instead, he silently witnessed the older Uchiha lower his eyes once more and turn away from Sakura. Both men knew that she was serious; all this love coming from her was true and pure. It was something Itachi was not used to, nor ever expected such a thing to exist. And so thus, he felt as if it was not something for him. One who was so tainted and stained did not deserve such love and tenderness.

So in defense, he turned his back and headed for the door. Without looking back, he spoke in a well practiced monotone voice," You should search for Naruto, Sakura. I am sure he is looking for you. And you know how stubborn he is." And with those last words, he opened the door.

But a call from Sakura made him stop and before he knew it, she was standing before him once again with a determined look in her eyes.

The next second, he found strong lithe arms wrapped around him in a tender embrace. With no fear whatsoever in her stance, Sakura buried her face in his chest and held the older Uchiha as if her life depened on it. "I meant what I said, Itachi-kun," she said and Itachi felt the muscles in his throat hitch at the sound of -kun," You will always have a home with us. If you ever want to come back..."

As Sora watched all of this unfold from in the room, he never saw Itachi's eyes softened as he gazed down at the pink haired medic-nin. But that soft voice coming from his lips was unmistakeable," Thank you....Sakura."

It was the first time she remembered him calling her by her given name, and as he said it, she found herself liking the sound it made as it rolled off his tongue. With one more squeeze, she released him and stepped back. An even brighter smile was planted on her face.

"Goodbye....Itachi-kun," she smiled in farewell as he once more reached for the door. And with only one more glance back at her and Sora, Itachi walked out of that motel room and out of their lives.

**A little shorter than most chapters, but still sweet in it's own way. I felt it was time for an update. =) Don't forget to review!**


	8. The ExTeammates

**Good morning sunshine! The Earth says hello!**

**I love you people. You all thought the last chapter was the end of the story. you have no idea how much I wanted to post a quick note telling you that this was NOT the end. But watching you all squirm was just too amusing. =)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would actually **_**own**_** Naruto. **

**P.S: I now have a poll set up in my profile, regarding a story I've read recently. 'Lord of the Flies', you may be familiar with the argumentive novel and story of so much debate. Please vote (said with puppy dog eyes and plate of bribery cookies at the ready, just in case)**

His first thought was that it was a pathetic, cheap hotel, where he was most likely to find criminals and nuke-nin. A quick glance to his left confirmed his suspicions; there was a gang of particularly nasty looking men, each with their own sneer. A few were giving Karin foul looks of lust, most likely since they haven't seen a decent woman in months. Not that he could blame them; what self respecting woman would come near this place?

Karin snarled at the men and stomped into the hotel, throwing a glare at any man that dared look at her. Cackling madly, Suigetsu followed after her, then Juugo. With one last glance at the men to see if he recognized any of them, Sasuke was the last to enter.

The inside was just as drab and in terrible condition as the exterior. A look around told him that the place hadn't been dusted in ages, nor swept, mopped, or cleaned overall. Karin frowned and delicately walked around a pile of trash on the floor. Suigetsu didn't mind and just stepped over it.

"Are you sure about this place, Karin?" Suigetsu asked the red-head of the team," I can hardly believe a girl would come here."

Karin glared at the shark-boy for doubting her abilities," I'm sure, baka. There's a small trace of her chakra in this hotel, meaning something close to her was left here."

"Like what?"

"Like a hitai-ate," she retorted and stepped up to the counter and the ancient geezer behind it. The three boys stood behind her, Sasuke at the back. He really didn't mind; he wasn't very good at talking with people and Karin was more than willing to interrogate the hotel owner. But if need came to be, Sasuke was sure he could use his Sharingan to get a few answers out of the man.

"We're looking for this girl here," she unceremoniously help up the Bingo book, its page opened up to Sakura's picture. The ancient hotel owner took one look at the book before glaring hard at Karin.

"This here is a safe-house, girly," he reprimanded," Like hell I'm going to tell you about any of my customers."

"What do you mean, safe-house?" Karin took great restraint to hold in her anger and gritted out the question. Behind her glasses, her eyes hardened and she glared right back at the man.

The old man was not perturbed (sp?). "Just what the name says," he answered with a whisk of his hand," I take in any customer and don't tell a soul about their secrets or whereabouts. I take shinobi, samurai, criminals, and nuke-nin. So stop with the pointless questions. You're not getting anything out of me. For all I know, you could be Hunter-nin."

"We're nuke-nin, you old prune," Karin seethed," And we know for a fact that this girl has been here. Now tell us where she's heading."

"Kiss my ass."

Before Karin could leap over the counter and strangle the old man, Sasuke decided it was time to intervene. A single word directed at Karin stopped her from starting a fight as he stepped forward. Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin backed off to give him room, seeing all too well that hard look in his eyes as he stared at the old man. Said old man cocked his head to the side, inspecting Sasuke through squinted eyes.

"Ah, I thought I recognized that young face," a knowing look suddenly broke out on the old man's face," You are Uchiha Sasuke, are you not?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes," How do you know my name?"

The old man gave a short laugh," Ha! How do I know your name? You're kind of a celebrity among nuke-nin. Of course I know who you are."

"But the question is..." he suddenly lowered his head and glared at Sasuke through slitted eyes," Why are you trying to find your ex-teammate? Come to finish the job and kill her, eh?"

Every jaw in the members of Team Taka behind Sasuke dropped and their eyes widened. With narrowed eyes, Sasuke addressed the old man with a cold stare. "You have some explaining to do, old man. What has happened?"

"Eh?" the elder blinked, suddenly confused," You mean it wasn't you? I could've sworn it had to been you, since your not exactly friendly with your ex-team and now you're looking for her..."

"Just answer the question, old geezer," Suigetsu cut in.

A quick glare was sent in Suigetsu's direction, then he turned back to Sasuke," But before I tell you anything, answer me this, Uchiha."

"What?" Sasuke snapped. Really, this impossible old man was giving him a headache. He had forgotten how stubborn and annoying old men could be.

"Why are you trying to find her?"

Sasuke hesistated, something he's never done before. He stood there for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Why _was_ he trying to find Sakura? For the past three years, he hasn't given her a second thought. She was never deemed important enough in his life to go to such lengths for. So why, when he discovered her tragedy of being forced to leave Konoha, did he feel the overwhelming urge to seek her out? Was it because he knew she wasn't strong enough to make it on her own and his old-time instinct to protect her was kicking back in? Was is because of what she had done for Itachi? Or was it for something else entirely?

A small smile spread out on the hotel keeper's face and a knowing twinkle appeared in his eye. "You've already answered the question, boy," he said," I'll tell you whatever you want to know. But you don't need to worry about her, she's in good hands."

At Sasuke's confused face, he smiled even wider and elaborated," She wasn't alone when she came here. Although they had to carry her in, the two men sure looked something fierce."

The old man chuckled at their shocked faces (well, they didn't show it, but he's been around enough shinobi to be able to read them) "Oh yeah, they looked like they came out of a battlezone. If I remember correctly, the young woman was in a coma, the man carrying her had a vicious burn on his arm, the samurai wasn't in great condition either, and the little girl was still in shock."

"Old man," Sasuke seethed, glaring at the man through slitted eyes," You should probably start making sense."

"Alright alright," the hotel owner held up his hands in defeat," There's no beating around the bush with you. How about I'll just show you their room? They only left just yesterday."

Karin blinked," You would do that? But what about your policy of confidentiality?"

"Well I ain't telling you their names, if that's what you're asking."

The room was not changed since they had left, which was only yesterday morning. The room was small, only the bare necessity. It was obvious that it had once housed four people, one a child. Blankets were piled together near the window, ruffled around to make a nest of sorts. A pillow rested against the window pane, where one could lay and stare out at the sky. On the floor, three plain futons were pushed together. Normally, a certain space would be left between the beds, to give each person their privacy. But these were pushed as close as possible, as if the two on the sides didn't wish to leave the one in the middle, even while they slept.

With a faint twinge in his heart, Sasuke suspected that the one who slept in the middle had been Sakura. And the two men who had been with her had obviously felt such devotion to her, to remain at her side. He might've thought one of them was Naruto, but knew better. The annoying blonde was still in Konoha, whereas Sakura's whereabouts were unknown.

Besides, hadn't the owner mentioned that one of them was a samurai? Such warriors were rare, found only in the Land of Iron. Here and there, a samurai would be found not associated with the country, but they almost always turned out to be rogues. Ruthless men who felt no loyalty to anyone, and always dangerous. Sasuke had fought only one true samurai, the formidable Kirabi of Iwa. Even the Land of Iron's samurai were nothing compared to the jinchuuriki's skill with swords; they were only mere foot soldiers trained in the art of the sword. Very few were true samurai.

But for the owner to specifically point out the samurai, Sasuke had to wonder what his skill level was; if it was even worthy of the title 'samurai'.

"Sasuke," Juugo spoke up, breaking his leader out of his thoughts. Resisting the temptation to blink away his previous thoughts, Sasuke faced the orange haired child/man. He held out a long red ribbon, faded with age and use. Sasuke instantly recognized it at the one Sakura would wear as a child. He never knew where it came from or why it meant so much to her, but until their graduation, he had never seen her without it. For her to leave it in such a place, that meant a lot. Perhaps she didn't leave it willingly? Or maybe she left it as a message for someone? Himself, he wanted to think, but quickly squashed that idea; she had no idea he was searching for her. Maybe it was left here because they had to leave in a hurry and didn't have time to pack everything...

"It was dropped under the desk," Juugo explained, motioning to the small wooden desk," It looked like it fell out of a pack or something."

Or it could've been left purely on accident.

Mentally scowling, for he had no further clues about Sakura, Sasuke took the ribbon and unceremoniously shoved it in his pocket. He turned to Karin, who was inspecting the nest-bed by the window. "Do you sense any chakra nearby?" he asked.

She shook her head," Wherever she is, she's long gone by now. They must be moving fast, if she so far away in only one day. I can only guess they're running, but that's to be expected if they're in the Bingo Book. But they can't be more than 100 miles away; they're traveling with a child. And a small one at that, if this bed is any significance. He'd have to be carried, for no child could keep up with a shinobi's speed."

"Ah, she," the owner corrected and Karin jumped; she had forgotten he was even there," The child wasn't a boy. It was a little girl."

"Ah, thank you, I guess," Karin nodded, unsure. She hadn't quite expected the man to offer up any clues willingly. But at that particular moment, something in her bag beeped. As everyone's heads turned her way, Karin opened the flap with a concerned look on her face. That beep came from the sensory tracker for the Akatsuki cloaks.

Presently, she pulled out the little black box and flipped it open. What she saw made her frown. "Something's wrong," she said, instantly earning a devout audience of eight ears. Slightly frowning at the hotel owner for listening in, she raised her head towards Sasuke and looked him in the eye.

"I can't sense her within a hundred miles and the last trace is 60 miles to the south of here," she confirmed, but everyone knew that whatever she had to say next would not be so good.

"But according to the cloak sensor, they're 21.5 miles _north_ and moving at a steady speed."

All eyes turned to Sasuke, waiting to see how this new bit of news would affect him. "It could be a trap," Suigetsu offered," Maybe she knew she was being followed and gave the cloak to someone poor old guy heading in the opposite direction in hopes we'd follow him instead."

But Sasuke shook his head," She wouldn't know about the tracker and has no idea anyone affiliated with Akatsuki is looking for her."

"And that cloak isn't something she'd just give away," he added," She kept it for a reason. She wouldn't have just taken it on a whim." Sighing, Suigetsu was forced to accept this objection. Although he still liked his idea and harbored a secret opinion that in a way, he was right.

But within the next second, his idea was given a second chance at validity. The hotel owner once again intervened with their conversation and offered up anything he could," Well, if it helps you at all, you should know that the girl went south, but the man went north."

"What?" Karin rounded on the poor man," They split up? Why couldn't you tell us this earlier?"

The man held up his hands in defense and shrugged nonchalantly," It didn't come to mind until now."

"So then it's still possible they split up to lead at least _someone_ off their trail," Suigetsu murmured under his breath," If the guy heads north, then he can double back when he knows the others have reached a safe location."

Karin nodded in agreement," It makes sense."

But once again, the hotel owner didn't fail to completely decimate their ideas," They didn't split up as a precaution; they split up because they aren't traveling together anymore."

Now that the old man had been a great bombshell for the umpteenth time, the members of Team Taka sighed and hung their heads. "Continue," Karin gestured to the old man, wondering what _now_ he had to say.

The hotel owner was only too happy to oblige," The two men got in an argument that morning. The samurai and the masked man."

"Oh, so now he was a masked man?"

"Yeah, in all black like the comic book ninjas and not a real shinobi. But this guy was real; I'll never forget those black eyes of his. But that morning, the two men got in an argument over the girl. The man wanted to bring her to Uzumaki Naruto, but the samurai didn't trust him. Said he was a murderer and couldn't be trusted with their lives, that he was surprised he hadn't killed them all yet."

"How do you know everything that happened?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. How could he be sure the old geezer wasn't giving them a tall tale? He was after all, the keeper of a safe-house and could only be pretending to help while all the while leading them _away_ from Sakura.

The old man shrugged," They weren't exactly being quiet about. It got so bad they even sent the little girl down to hang out with me so she didn't have to see them fighting."

"And a fight _was_ about to break out; when the samurai accused the man of not caring whether the girl lived or died, it went deadly silent. And that usually always means two powerful opponents are getting ready for a battle."

"But as it turned out, it only got silent because at that moment, Sakura woke up. (the little girl told me all this as they were leaving.) Something was settled in that room, and before I knew it, the man was walking out of here like nothing ever happened. He took his bag and headed north. Then later that day, the remaining three went south, never bothering to ask where the other man went. Which I thought was strange, because the four of them seemed like a tight knit group. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought they were all family. They even had matching cloaks, for Kami's sake."

"Matching cloaks?" Karin's ears perked at this," Can you describe them to us?"  
"A very dark green with splotches of brown. They were camouflage stye; meant to blend in with the trees."

The others thanked him (well, Karin did) and all left the safe-house, eager to begin the search anew.

Standing outside the safe-house, the members of Team Taka huddled in a circle, planning their next strategy. Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo wanted to head south and forget about the mysterious man, but Sasuke was dying of curiousity. He wanted to know just what kind of man he was, for Sakura to give him Itachi's cloak. They all had cloaks, so it wasn't a gift to keep him warm throughout the cold winter. Was he an old friend of hers? Or someone she had met in her short life as a nuke-nin? Whoever he was, Sasuke intended to find out.

Which is why he sent the others south to follow Sakura, while he himself took the tracker and headed north. One way or another, he _would_ find that man.

A man with shocking blonde hair walked through the streets with large, purposeful strides. His blue eyes shone with determination, ready to take on the world in order to complete whatever he set out to do. As he walked by, people couldn't help but glance up, awed by his rugged good looks, his demeanor, his air of confidence. He surprised them all by smiling widely at them, so seemingly happy despite all that he has been through. Only two months ago, he had been full of tears for the loss of his beloved teacher, and then half a month later, for the destruction of the village he loved.

But now, Uzumaki Naruto was full of life and determination, back to his usual self that everyone loved. He held in his hand five pictures, searching out every hotel in this unfamiliar town.

Upon walking into the last and smallest motel, he spread the pictures out onto the front desk. Looking up to stare the receptionist in the eye, he politely asked," Have you seen any of these people?"

The woman carefully looked over the pictures, inspecting each and every one. She immediately pushed aside the pictures of Sakura, Suigetsu, and Karin. She looked a little closer at the picture of Juugo, but eventually pushed that aside too.

"Him," she confirmed, laying a manicured finger over Uchiha Sasuke's face. Naruto's face brightened considerably and he leaned forward.

"Really?" he spoke eagerly," When? Where? Do you know where he is now?"

With a sigh, the woman pointed behind him, checking the manicure on her other hand all the while. Confused beyond all hell, Naruto whirled around, only to come face to face with his long lost teammate, Uchiha freakin' Sasuke.

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

"What the? How the hell? When did you? TEME!"

Grimacing, Sasuke sighed at his former best friend and closed his eyes," I believe you've already said that, dobe."

"Teme!" Naruto shouted, waving his arms wildly," What are you doing here? Are you looking for Sakura-chan too?"

Sasuke frowned," No, dobe. Now shut up." And ignoring his ex-teammate's loud protests, he walked up to the receptionist. Since there were already hearts in the woman's eyes, he figured it wouldn't be very hard to get answers out of her. Inwardly, he grimaced; the woman was twice his age for Kami's sake, this was borderline pedophilia...

"I'm looking for a certain man," he said, recieving an eager nod in return," A masked shinobi that looks like he came out a comic book and wearing a camouflage cloak."

The woman smiled widely," Oh, _him_! Of course I remember him, he checked in just last night. I don't think he's checked out yet, so I'll just bring you up to him." Nodding, Sasuke proceeded to follow her up the stairs.

"Hey teme, who's this guy we're looking for?" Naruto's annoying voice echoed in his ear. Damn, Sasuke hadn't realized the dobe was tagging along until it was too late. As they walked down the hall, Naruto followed along.

"Go away, dobe," Sasuke ordered, but to no avail. The annoying blonde just wouldn't go away.

Luckily, they had finally reached the top floor, so Sasuke had something to distract himself from his ex-teammate. But also, they all noticed that the last door on the left was wide open. The receptionist frowned," Damnit. That was his room."

True, once they reached the open door, it was obvious that the room was empty of any occupants. The bed had been made, the closet cleaned out, and no bag or cloak in sight. All that was left was a pile of money and two envelopes left on the bedside table. The woman sighed," Well at least he left his rent."

And with that, she scooped up the money and faced the two boys," Well, you two are free to look around, but it looks like he cleaned out the place pretty well. And I'm guessing those letters are for you; he was obviously expecting you to come here."

And before she walked out, Sasuke asked her one last question," Do you know what his name was?"

With a smile, she answered," Of course. He booked under the name of Sasuke. Very cute name, if you ask me. It matched his black eyes perfectly."

And she left, while Naruto laughed long and hard. "Shut it, dobe," the real Sasuke scowled at his former best friend. When Naruto would not cease to laugh, he chose to ignore the loud rambunctious man and instead went to pick up the two envelopes. Sure enough, both were addressed to the two of them, written out in small, almost inscrutable symbols. The writing was somewhat sloppy, as if the writer wasn't entirely sure what they were writing. He could only guess the mysterious man never wrote much, wasn't sure how to spell their names (though unlikely), had bad hand coordination, or bad eyesight. There were simply a multitude of possibilities, all of which he wasn't too excited to think over.

Holding the letters in his hand, he glanced over both his and Naruto's name. For a moment, he pondered opening and reading Naruto's letter, to see what kind of news this man would have for the blond Kyuubi. But he dismissed that idea and handed Naruto his own letter.

Still silently giggling at his ex teammate's misfortune of his name being stolen, Naruto took the envelope. Not entirely aware of the letter's importance, he ripped it open at the same time Sasuke carefully sliced open his own letter with a kunai. Naruto had only pulled out the piece of paper and read the first word _'Naruto'_ before everything went black.

_He was standing in the training grounds back in his home village. This place was sacred and dear to him; the place where Team 7 had first formed; the place where Team 7 trained for hours on end; where he and Sakura had finally taken down Kakashi-sensei through sheer mirth and trickery. _

_But this time, it was not his beloved sensei that he face on these familiar grounds. The person he faced now was certainly familiar, but certainly also __**not alive**__. To Naruto utmost horror, Uchiha Itachi stood in the center of the battlefield, watching him with cool, calculating eyes. _

_But when he discovered that he couldn't move a muscle, Naruto realized that someone had trapped him in a genjutsu. Angered at this, but also confused as to why someone would place him in a genjutsu starring a dead man, Naruto began focusing his chakra to break out of it. _

_"Please hear me out, Uzumaki Naruto," the genjutsu Itachi interrupted before he could get very far," I am the real Uchiha Itachi, but I mean you no harm."_

_Knowing that if Kakashi-sensei ever found out, he would scold him to Sunagakure and back, Naruto did the foolish thing and stopped to listen. "The __**real**__ Uchiha Itachi?" he raised an eyebrow at the older man," But he's dead. I heard that plant guy say so myself. __**You're**__ not real! This a genjutsu." At this point, Naruto was pointing at the annoyed Uchiha and waving his other hand about. _

_Itachi sighed and muttered something about how "People really need to learn Zetsu's name" and such, but his coal black eyes focused on Naruto again. "Yes, this is a genjutsu, but one __**I **__placed on the letter addressed to you," he explained," I knew that we were being followed and I reasoned that I should leave you with some form of closure...with Haruno-san, I mean."_

_"Sakura-chan?" Naruto's ears perked up," What do you know about Sakura-chan? Tell me!"_

_Normally, Itachi would've been annoyed at the rambunctious blonde's loudness, but oddly enough, found Naruto's iron loyalty to his teammate reassuring. It reassured him that Naruto was the kind of person who would set aside every and all prejudices and grudges if it would only help his female teammate. It was this kind of loyalty Itachi was totally depending on._

_Naruto stood there for a moment, eyes locked with his best friend's elder brother's. Who he kept reminding himself was d.e.a.d. But somewhere deep inside him, something wanted to believe this genjutsu created Itachi. That the poor innocent man who was forced to kill his entire clan was still out there somewhere, and knew something about his sister. After learning what really happened to the Uchiha Clan, Naruto sincerely wanted to believe that the real Uchiha Itachi was someone he could've, maybe in another life, gotten along with. All for the sake of their shared love for the village of Konoha and the preservation of life itself. Naruto knew Itachi cherished life, but did he cherish his own life enough to have faked his death and was now reaching out him?_

_But after the longest time, Itachi uttered four words that shook him down to the very core. Four words that Naruto __**never**__ expected to hear, coming from the martyred man. _

_**"She saved my life."**_

_Itachi's eyes were somber as he gazed at the teammate of the woman who had literally saved his life once and possibly his soul multiple times. His kept his eyes purposefully blank, silently daring the younger man to show distaste, maybe even hatred. For Sakura had gone against everything her village believed in, in healing him. She could've even sent the village to it's demise, having not knowing that he was indeed a hero of that village. If Itachi wanted to, he could've gone undercover and helped Madara exact his revenge on Konoha._

_But whatever Itachi was expecting, he surely did not get it. Instead, Naruto's own eyes softened and he gazed at the elder Uchiha with familiality. If Itachi was taken aback at the friendliness in Naruto's eyes, he did not show it. _

_"That's just like Sakura-chan," Naruto murmured, smiling nostalgically," I'm always so busy trying to save her life, that I forget that she saves so many others every day." _

_"But why?" Itachi whispered, wondering just __**why**__ Haruno Sakura took the risk she did and __**why**__ did Naruto still love her for it?_

_Even though Itachi didn't mean for his words to be heard, Naruto's keen sense of hearing picked them up anyways. "Because she's Sakura-chan," he answered truthfully," A life means everything to her and everyone deserves a second chance. She wouldn't care who you were; all she cared about was you needed to be saved."_

_"And you don't hate her for it?" Itachi asked, just to be sure. Naruto was taken aback by his words, horrified that anyone could presume he hated his sister for having such a loving heart._

_"What?" his eyes widened," __**No.**__ I love Sakura-chan. And besides...I know that you're not a bad person... I know what happened to your family..."_

_And as darkness took hold of Naruto, he could've sworn he saw Uchiha Itachi's jaw drop. Just a little..._

"Dobe," Sasuke's voice was calling him," What does it say?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, once again facing the younger of the Uchiha brothers, who had his signature scowl on his face. Sasuke only frowned more at Naruto's intelligent answer. "The letter," he repeated," What does yours say?"

Naruto looked down at the letter in his hands, still unread. He hadn't even realized that time hadn't passed (or had it?) in the real world, but genjutsu was confusing that way. Were Sakura here, she would've been able to lecture him about the details of genjutsu. His eyes softened at that thought. _Were Sakura here..._

Sensing Sasuke's impatience wasn't getting any better, Naruto quickly read the single sentence written down in somewhat sloppy handwriting, _'She misses you.'_

With a shrug, Naruto held out the letter for Sasuke to read, careful to not let the younger Uchiha touch the jutsu'd paper. He couldn't be too sure the genjutsu wouldn't activate for him too. Next time he saw Sakura, or the man who placed the genjutsu himself, he'd have to ask them. But Sasuke didn't need to hold the letter to read the one sentence, but it didn't help to smooth out the frown on his face. With a scoff, he tossed his own letter at Naruto, not really caring what it said.

But when Naruto deftly picked the piece of paper out of the air, he couldn't contain his bout of mirth.

_'Stay out of where you're not wanted.'_

It was blunt, rude, straight to the point, and so unlike Itachi that it would take Sasuke years to connect the sentence with his older brother. Maybe Itachi wanted Sasuke to think it was some other person writing the letter. Maybe he wanted Sasuke to leave him (and Sakura) alone and didn't want to have to tell him twice. Or maybe Itachi was now harboring some bitterness to the little brother that "killed" him.

Who knows, maybe he would never find out. But that didn't stop Naruto from laughing his head off even as Sasuke stalked out of that hotel room. He was still giggling madly when Sasuke stomped out of the hotel and towards wherever his feet took him next.

**To. Be. Freakin'. Continued...**

**There, I wrote a TBC for you, so ya'll know that this is NOT the end. Although with that kind of ending, it's kind of obvious there's another chapter coming. I should've realized when posting the other one that it had an ambiguious ending to it. But oh well, watching you all squirm was so much fun too. =)**


	9. The Young and the Hopeless

**Good evening infidels...**

**Alright, some of you wanted to know what was going on with Sakura and the gang and I promise, we are getting back to our lovable family. But first, a little ItaNaru moment. **

**Also, thank you for all your loving reviews!**

He sat in the dingy bar, watching everything around him and yet not seeing anything. Thoughts would float in and out of his mind as fast as they came.

_ 'That guy giggling in the corner reminds me of Kaka-sensei reading his porn...'_

_ 'That snarky waitress is just like my Sakura-chan...'_

_ 'Ero-sennin would be right in the middle of those girls, having the time of his life...'_

Cerulean eyes scanned the crowd, looking at complete strangers, yet seeing the people he's loved most in his life. No matter how hard he tried to believe in it, he knew he would not be seeing any of them in a long time. Kakashi was in Konoha, trying to do what he could to save it. Sakura was gone; the sole reason why he was out here trying to find her. And Jiraiya...

He couldn't think of his sensei's name without tears coming to his eyes. He looked back at the group of girls. An old man sat in the midst of all them, laughing like a senile old man. Just like Ero-sennin did...

If that pervy sage was here, he would know what to do. He would know what to do with Sakura's defection from Konoha. He would know how to get her back. But most of all, he would be _here_. He would be sitting with those girls, laughing and doing his 'research'. Then he would laugh at Naruto and tell him to lighten up and let him do his research. Naruto would always whine and complain about not training at all and just ogling at some girls. But Jiraiya always kept his promise and the next day, Naruto would be hard at work, learning a new jutsu or technique.

It wasn't until he died did Naruto realize just how much he loved his sensei. He was the closest thing Naruto ever had to a father. And now he was gone... Just like the rest of his family.

Naruto scoffed; it seems like he was really good at losing his family lately. First his brother, Sasuke. (Even after all these years, he was no closer to getting his best friend back.) Today, he held some hope that somehow, Sasuke was slowly turning back into the boy he once was. But after some thought, Naruto realized the Uchiha just didn't care any more. Hell, he wasn't even concerned when he heard about Sakura-chan. Naruto always thought that at the very least, Sasuke cared about Sakura. He was always protecting her in their childhood. But Uchiha Sasuke. Just. Didn't. Care. Anymore.

It hurt Naruto to finally accept it. Deep down, he knew a part of him always knew that, but he refused to believe it. He supposed the pain was always easier to deal with when he had the rest of his family here to help him through it all. But now his beloved sister was gone. How much he wanted to find her and bring her back home. He knew that she cared, that she still loved Konoha and all of their friends waiting back home. But for some reason he couldn't fathom, she just didn't want to be found. With a frown, Naruto pondered if it had anything to do with the new family she found. Did she not want to come home? Had she found something better? He didn't want to believe so. He wanted to believe Itachi spoke the truth when he said she misses him.

And speaking of that god forsaken Uchiha, Naruto was just so damn confused about the whole thing. It only arose more questions and reminded Naruto of past hurts. It reminded him of Sakura and Sasuke too much.

"One sake, please," he asked the bartender, raising his hand to get his attention. The bartender raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing and passed a cup his way, filled with the dark liquid. He wasn't an idiot, he knew full well the boy wasn't old enough to be drinking. But for some reason, he found himself taking pity on the boy. He knew that look in the boy's eyes, he's seen it in so many men. That look was not something that should be seen in a young boy's eyes. It was solely for men who have nothing left to lose, who have lost it all and are just waiting for the end. This boy had his whole life ahead of him. So the bartender did what he could, and just gave the boy his sake.

Sighing, Naruto swirled the sake in it's cup, watching his reflection warp. But before he could lift the cup to his lips, it was pulled from his very hand.

"You are too young to drink," a masculine voice scolded. Naruto frowned, but did not bother to look up at the newcomer. He just didn't really care at that moment.

"I'm not too young," he replied," You should've seen Sakura-chan. She really took after Baa-chan; she could outdrink any of us."

"I was not aware that Haruno-san was a drinker," the voice seemed almost thoughtful.

Naruto grinned weakly," She doesn't like to drink often. It makes her really violent."

Chuckling, he turned his head towards the newcomer," I remember one time a guy tried to get her to come home with him. She kicked him clear across-"

And at that moment, Naruto finally realized who was sitting next to him and promptly fell off his stool in shock. Itachi frowned at the blonde, unamused.

"You should not be surprised," he said as Naruto clambered back up to his seat," I'm sure you recieved my message."

"Yeah yeah," Naruto scowled at him," The letter. I got it. You know, it's still kinda hard to believe that a man who's _supposed_ to be dead is actually _alive_." Itachi just raised an eyebrow.

"I already told you that the reason I'm alive is because of Haruno-san," he reminded him. Upon remembering, Naruto sobered up quickly and stared down at the counter.

"Just like Sakura-chan," he smiled, remembering how sweet and kind his female teammate was. Out of everything he remembered about Sakura-chan, he always remembered that she had a big heart. Of course, when they were little, he mostly only saw it because she gave so much of it to Sasuke. Naruto had always been jealous of the snarky young man, not because of his talent, but because he unknowingly held the heart of the girl he loved...and didn't respect it. Upon thinking about it, Naruto wondered if many people even _realized _how loving Sakura was. Sure, she was a well known medic, but did people stop to think that the only reason she put her heart and soul into her work as a medic was because she put her heart and soul into _them_?

Sometimes, he just didn't want to think about it. Sometimes, he just wanted to think of her as his Sakura-chan and nothing else. Because that was how he remembered her. Even though she loved Sasuke, he liked to think that someday, she would learn to love _him_. That the big, kind, and caring heart in her body would finally realize that he could respect it how it should be. But he knew he was kidding himself; Sakura's heart would always belong to Sasuke. No matter how many times the bastard stepped on it.

"I miss her," Naruto murmured, gently inspecting the grain of the wood with the tip of his finger. Beside him, Itachi acquired a similar solemn face, reflecting upon some thoughts of his own. Naruto wasn't sure if he was thinking about Sakura, because it really hadn't been too long since he was away from her, if he even cared that much about her in the first place. Or was Itachi remembering someone else? Someone else who meant a lot to him, but was dead or gone? (Naruto found it hard to believe that Itachi might've once had a love, but given the past few days, anything was possible.)

Making a sound in the back of his throat, Naruto shook his head clear.

_'What the hell was I just thinking?' _he asked himself, _'Was I seriously wondering if Itachi had a long lost lover, or even... loved Sakura-chan?' _Glancing at the sober Uchiha, who was intently swirling Naruto's cup of sake and watching his reflection, Naruto decided that he was finally losing his mind. Maybe being away from his friends for so long was finally getting to him.

"At least you know she's safe," Itachi pointed out, seemingly attempting to cheer the blonde up. Pondering this, Naruto thought that maybe Itachi was crazy too. It was almost preposterious that an Uchiha, much less the Uchiha serial killer, was trying to cheer him up.

But Naruto chuckled anyways, finding it funny. "Yeah, I suppose I should be happy," he said," I just wish I could actually see her and talk to her again. Just to sit down and talk to her, to be a team again. I just...miss her."

For once in his life, Itachi didn't really know what to say. Never in his life had he said the same things about anyone. As he stared down at the sake in his hands, he thought back on all he's been through and all the people he's lost. The first face that came to his mind was, in fact, his mother's.

If Itachi just closed his eyes, he could imagine her face perfectly, just how he remembered it. It surprised him; he hasn't thought about her in years, yet the image was still so very clear. As he thought more about it, he had to admit to himself that he missed her. He regretted having to kill her, having to end her life. For such a long time afterwards, her bloody face had haunted him. Yet, for some reason, all he could think about was the small smile on her face as she died. As if she knew why he did it, and she accepted it. But why couldn't she repent? Why couldn't she reject the Uchiha Clan ideals and live a peaceful life in Konoha? If she had only come to him and the Hokage before, she would've been spared. Sasuke could've had a mother.

These questions Itachi had asked himself hundreds of times. But they were questions that only his mother could answer. If only he could be with her again, to talk to her. Then maybe she could clear up the fog that had been hanging around him for years. Itachi wanted just a hour or so with his mother alive, if only to talk and just be with her.

"One more sake, please," he murmured to the bartender, setting the cup of sake down. With a nonchalant gesture, he pushed the cup back to Naruto. The blonde looked at him strange for a moment, but his tanned hand reached out for the glass regardless. Within a moment, the bartender had placed a cup and a bottle of sake in front of the two men.

To Naruto's amazement, the elder Uchiha had poured himself a glass of sake and downed it in a matter of mere seconds. He noted how the aristocratic man's features flinched slightly at the feel of the alcoholic burn down his throat.

_'Guess he doesn't drink much.'_

Naruto could only wonder what had driven Itachi to drink as he turned back to his own glass. The sake had been sitting in it for quite some time, so he decided to cure that by throwing his head back and downing the glass's contents. As the alcohol burned its way down his throat, he focused solely on it. He had always loved the feeling, loved how it burned his insides and heated his face. After a moment's thought, he guessed it was because he associated the feeling with Lee's much adored Curry of Life. That burning feeling; it made you feel and made you know that you were alive.

He glanced back at Itachi, who seemed as alive as a dead fly. The man's face held no emotions as he stared at his cup, which was now filled with sake again. To Naruto, he just seemed so lifeless and lost of hope. If Naruto had any insight, he would've known that said man was finally facing something he had been running from for years. Only to find that he couldn't defeat his own demons...

"Bottoms up," he cheered weakly, raising his glass to Itachi. The older man just glanced at him and raised an aristocratic eyebrow. To Naruto's dismay, Itachi forewent the traditional clinking of the glasses and just drank his second cup of sake. Pouting at the stoic man, Naruto murmured bastard under his breath and downed his own sake.


	10. The Tree

**A/N: The much awaited for chapter ten! As I was writing this, I was listening to a particular song that made the emotions in this chapter that much stronger. To add to the atmosphere, please listen to 'Los Angeles' by Peter Bradley Adams. You **_**will**_** cry! **

...

The hotel was small and quaint, quite different from the one she had stepped in before. Only this time, she could actually _feel_ the chakra signature here; their target was still in this building.

"Well they certainly don't have a preference for hotels," Suigetsu noted, stepping up beside her. With impressed eyes, he looked all around at the homey furnishings and refreshing atmosphere. The place was meant to induce relaxation; a thing that people like him knew nothing of. Perhaps that was why the cherry haired kunoichi chose this place. After the story they heard at the last place, she would need someplace quiet and peaceful to recuperate.

"At least there are no perverts everywhere," Karin muttered under her breath before walking towards the old man standing behind the desk. The old man glanced up at them and sighed deeply.

"Can I help you?" he asked, almost boredly.

"Yes, in fact, you can help us," Karin said," We're looking for an old friend of ours. She has pink hair and is traveling with two others. A young man and a little girl."

The old man sighed again and shot her a hard look. "Old friends, huh? Why do I seem to doubt that?" he asked her, and knew he was right when she bit her lower lip.

"If you mean harm, then you would've come in here blazing with weapons," he continued," Which you didn't. But I must warn you, if you cause any ill will, there will be hell to pay."

Karin smiled victoriously. This man was _much_ more cooperative than the last one. Not to mention very intelligent. He obviously knew he couldn't stop them and wanted to set a peaceful atmosphere for the fateful meeting.

"Much appreciated, old man," Suigetsu cheered and grinned toothily at the man, who looked at his features with disgust," So where _is_ the little sprite, by the way?"

"On one condition," the old man interrupted him, sending him a dark glare. Stunned, Suigetsu froze and stared back at the old man.

"The only one to go is _him_," a finger was then pointed directly at Juugo.

Both Karin and Suigetsu jaws dropped, eyes wide and confused.

Juugo just stared blankly at the old man, and when he finally figured it out, he sighed.

"Because I'm a kid, right?" he asked, cursing whatever had turned him into a child when he had healed Sasuke way back when.

The old man nodded, smiling," She loves children. And she won't be as wary when it's just you."

"Damn, why didn't we think of that before?" Suigetsu muttered, earning a sharp whack from Karin.

"We agree," she turned back to the man," Now hurry it up, we need to get a message to her."

"Hmph," the old man grunted and stepped out from his desk," But you two must stay here, where I can keep an eye on you."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," she rolled her eyes.

Narrowing his eyes at her one last time, the old man turned and led Juugo towards the back of the hotel. Once he was out of sight, Suigetsu looked at Karin with a stunned expression.

"Are we really gonna sit here and wait?"

"No, you dumbass," Karin growled at him," Ever heard of a clone?"

"Ohhhh."

"Sheesh. Idiot."

...

There was a small greenhouse located behind the hotel. Juugo watched with fascination as they passed elderly ladies having tea in quaint gardens. The gardens surrounded the greenhouse, where beautiful flowers and plants could be found. The man notice Juugo staring and chuckled.

"The owner comes from a very tropical land and misses the atmosphere," he answered," Many of these plants have medicinal qualities, but no one ever came that could use them. Luckily, the very young woman you are searching for came and is in the process of developing many medicines from our gardens."

Juugo raised an eyebrow at him. Sakura was a medic-nin? Sasuke never mentioned that.

Soon enough, they approached the back of the greenhouse, where two females were hard at work over a small stove and pot. The smell of herbs filled the air, as well as the voice of the elder female instructing her protege how to make the medicine.

"The bark from the aspen tree is a natural pain relievant," Haruno Sakura spoke in a motherly tone, watching with careful eyes as a blonde headed child measured the ingredient and poured it into the pot," Good, Kirei. Now what herb combines everything?"

"Haruno-san, you have company," the man announced. Sakura sighed, never turning towards them though her protege did.

"It was smart of you to let only one in, Koyuke-san," she said, but Juugo suspected a hint of doubt in her voice. Did she know that Karin and Suigetsu were still around? "I can take it from here," Sakura finally turned to the two of them, but narrowed her eyes when she saw how young Juugo was.

Juugo didn't even notice the old man leaving until Sakura gestured him to join them at the table. He moved forward and took a seat beside the blonde child, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Ignoring her, he looked at Sakura. He opened his mouth-

"I know why you're here," she interrupted him, fixing him with a hard stare. With a frown, he noticed that it was very similar to Sasuke's. "And I'm going to tell you that I don't give a damn," she continued," Sasuke broke ties with us years ago. That was his own choice."

"Haruno-san-" he tried to explain, but she held out a hand to stop him again.

"Just...Stop. I don't care anymore," she ordered, but Juugo didn't miss that look in her eye. She was trying to be strong, but there was an underlying doubt behind her eyes. Looking at her, Juugo realized something. She was tired. Exhausted. Hopeless. Sasuke himself had admitted to betraying her; she had said that he broke ties with them; how long had she sat in the village, waiting for him to return? How long had she hoped that her waiting would pay up; hoping that her teammate would realize the wrong he's done and come home, or at least apologize to her? He could see it: She was tired of being hopeful and then being broken down piece by piece.

"I just want you and your damn team to leave and never come back," she said and Juugo thought it sounded like an ultimatum. How much he wanted to heed her wishes and leave, never to return. She wanted to be left alone, to be able to heal in peace without the emotional pain that always followed Uchiha Sasuke. But Juugo had a job to do. His loyalty was to Sasuke and Sasuke alone, and even though he didn't agree with his team leader's choices, he couldn't just turn around and refuse his request. He _would_ bring the two of them together, even if only for Sasuke to finally have his closure regarding his ex-teammate.

"I can't do that, Haruno-san," he shook his head and within a few seconds, found himself staring down the blade of a kunai knife. Above that kunai was the angered face of one Haruno Sakura, glaring at him with such hatred and malice. But no matter how much hatred built up in those eyes, all Juugo could see was her pain. She was fighting off her desperation with anger, trying to be emotionless like Sasuke. But she wasn't Sasuke; she couldn't hide her emotions or her pain with a blank face, but she could try with an angry one.

"Tell me something, Juugo," she spoke and Juugo wondered how she knew his name," Why is your little team after me? Did Sasuke _really_ send you? Or are you doing this of your own accord, thinking that Sasuke and I _want_ to see each other again? If so, then you've been horribly misinformed. Sasuke would not have sent you; he _despises_ our team; wants nothing to do with it. And if this was _your_ choice, then you really don't know that the world would be much more peaceful if we never saw each other again."

"Haruno-san," he frowned at her, not fazed by her words in the least," He _is_ looking for you. You must mean something important to him if he's going all the way to send _us_ after you."

Then Sakura did something so unexpected that both he and her protege jumped in their seats. Pulling back her kunai, she began chuckling. Laughing still, she sat back on her cushion and faced Juugo once more. "He really hasn't told you anything, has he?" it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Juugo raised his eyebrow.

"Four years ago, we started out as a Genin Team. During out time together, he always looked down on me, calling me annoying and telling me that I was always in the way. When he betrayed us for Orochimaru, do you know what he did? He left me unconcious on a cold hard bench where anyone could've attacked me, then when our other teammate, our _best friend_, went after him, he nearly killed him too. The next time I saw him, he tried to kill both of us and our new teammate. And all this time, he tells us how much he hates us and the bonds we formed as children, saying that he would do anything to break them. So you tell me this, does that sound like the kind of man who cares about his important people? Sasuke doesn't _have_ anyone important to him. We're all just pawns of his in his plan for revenge."

Juugo couldn't say anything, for he knew it was true. Sasuke just didn't care about other people, only his revenge. The Uchiha himself admitted for hurting his ex-teammates, saying that he had tried to kill them, but who knew exactly just what he'd done? The emotional damage he wreaked on those who cared about him was devastating and something this pink-haired woman couldn't forget. The pain Sasuke's caused to both her and the ones she loves torments her every day and he expects her to forget everything and forgive him? Even Juugo couldn't find it in himself to forgive his team leader for what he's done.

"Haruno-san," he spoke quietly, looking into her emerald eyes, so full of emotion yet so blank," I guess there's only one thing I have to ask you then."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but waited for him to continue. She was used to waiting.

"Now that you've started a new life outside of Konohagakure... are you happy?"

...

"Are you happy? What kind of question is that?" Karin scowled, crouching outside the door. Suigetsu crouched right beside her, his ear pressed against the wooden door. On his face was a look of deviousness; he obviously enjoyed eavesdropping too much. But one had to wonder what was going through Juugo's mind. Sure, even Karin had been surprised by the hurt and anger running between Sasuke and Sakura, but when did Juugo ever think of refusing Sasuke anything? Why was he asking Haruno such useless questions? Did he think she had a say in this?

"She will be happy as long as she has us," a dark voice spoke right in her ear and Karin stiffened. _There was someone right behind her_. She heard the ominous sound of a sword being drawn and beside her, Suigetsu's eyes widened. There was a flurry of movement and the next thing she knew, she was facedown on the floor, feeling something very sharp digging into her back.

She heard the door opening and a loud THUD as Suigetsu was thrown in roughly. She herself was picked up by the scruff of her neck (in large hands as warm as molten lava) and tossed in after him. But perhaps the most terrifying thing about the whole ordeal...she couldn't feel the person's chakra. He was right beside her, hovering over her like a vulture, yet she sensed not a drop of chakra in his body. Had she not felt his hands on the back of her neck; had she not heard his voice; he would've been nothing more than a ghost. Something unreal.

"When spying on conversations not concerning you, it's stupid to not check for guards," the man above her spoke and Suigetsu let out a gawk. Glancing up, she saw a foot on Suigetsu's back, pushing him facedown into the floor. A sword hung by the leg pushing her teammate down; a deadly yet beautiful katana carved from the finest of Japanese steel. Following the leg and sword, she identified the mysterious man. Most of his body was covered by a black and green mottled cloak, but his clothes underneath were undeniably woodsman clothing. He held his katana in his right hand and his left was cautiously placed on the hip not facing her, where she guessed another katana rested. Angry blue eyes glared out from underneath brown bangs, piercing everyone in the room with daggers of ice. Karin froze; he was not a ghost alright, but how could he have no chakra? He was something unreal.

"Y-You..." she sat up, sitting with her back against the wall so she could face everyone but kept her eyes on the samurai," What _are_ you? You have no chakra in your body. But that's impossible; even civilians have chakra, even if they can't use it."

The man smirked, playfully but still dark, and another voice spoke up. "Sora-nii doesn't have chakra. He's not like you ninja, but he's _way_ better," a small and excited voice told her; it sounded like a child. Turning her head, Karin saw the other occupants of the room, eyes landing first on Kirei. Eyes just as blue as Sora's looked at her, but were framed by blonde hair and shone with childlike innocence. The girl couldn't have been any older than nine.

"Kirei, let us handle it. Watch and listen," another female voice ordered and the kid fell silent. It was then that Karin looked at the last person.

So this was Haruno Sakura. Karin had to admit that Zetsu was right. She wasn't beautiful (exotic, but not beautiful) but there was something entrancing about her. Maybe it was the way she held herself, full of pride and determination, that made people want to look at her. Maybe it was the regal way her eyes landed on all of them, like a mother watching her children and wanting to help them, but had to let them learn by their own mistakes, that drew people to her. But Karin could see through it all; she could see what was so magical about this single kunoichi.

It was just as Zetsu said. Her beauty derived from her ability to give strength to others and saving none for herself. Behind the blank face and regal posture was someone broken down and beaten. Even at first glance, Karin saw the hurt, exhaustion, and desperation in those green eyes; Haruno Sakura was always on the thin edge of a knife, never falling but still waivering. That kind of control had a grace in itself; a grace that everyone strived for. To have pain in their hearts and eyes, but still be standing, forever if they have to. Haruno Sakura was still standing, and Karin had a suspicion that she always would be.

She was beautiful. She was something ethereal; a symbol of hope that spread out to everyone who laid eyes on her. She had an undeniable inner strength and she willingly gave that strength out to everyone.

Ruby red eyes softened, gazing at this worn down yet regal woman. All the hate that Karin had built up against Sasuke's ex-teammate melted away and she was perfectly okay with that. Maybe it was because of this quiet gift of Haruno Sakura's that Sasuke wanted her back. Karin couldn't see how anyone could turn their back on a woman such as this; Sasuke had and now he was regretting it.

"You have yet to answer my question, Haruno-san," Juugo spoke up. Sakura shot him a look, but they all could see it. Her eyes just could not lie.

From lying on the floor, Suigetsu observed all of this with confused eyes. He saw Juugo and Sakura sitting across from each other, as if simply having tea. He saw how Karin looked around at everyone but froze on their target. He had been expecting hatred and rage to rise up in the redhead's eyes, but it was the complete opposite. Instead, her gaze softened and she stared at Sakura as if in awe.

"Uhh, did I miss something here?" he blinked at the scene before him. Holding his stomach (damn, that brat shoved the hilt of his katana into his gut) and moved to sit up, but a foot placed on his back halted all movements.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down," Sora warned, growling menacingly at the mist nin below him. He pressed down on Suigetsu's back to emphasize his point. Growling back, Suigetsu turned his head to glare at the samurai. He contemplated hacking the boy to pieces with his sword, but a warning look from Juugo stopped him. Grudgingly, he laid back down, resting his chin on his forearms.

"This sucks."

"And _you_," Sora now directed his glare at Karin and Juugo," Get away from Sakura and my baby sister and _leave_. I want all of you gone. Stop following us. Stop coming after us. Is that _clear_? And tell your stupid little boss to back off or I'll chop his arms and legs off."

Suigetsu couldn't help but snicker, imagining this scruff of a man challenging Sasuke. The poor boy would be killed in two seconds flat, samurai or not.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sora-kun," Sakura spoke up and Suigetsu smirked. Finally, at least someone knew they were no match for Uchiha Sas-

"If anyone gets to cut something off Sasuke, it would be me," she finished and Suigetsu had the suspicion that she wasn't talking about arms or legs. More like a head, but which one Suigetsu couldn't be sure of.

"You're a violent woman," he mused, grinning from ear to ear. This little spitfire was becoming a source of great amusement to him. His amusement only grew when she glared darkly at him.

"Don't tempt me to make you my first target," she growled and Sora pressed down harder on Suigetsu's back. But he couldn't wipe that grin from the shark boy's face.

"I don't think you fully understand us, Haruno-san," Juugo started talking, fearing a fight would erupt between Suigetsu and Sora," We're here because Sasuke told us to find and retrieve you. This wasn't our own idea. We simply can't leave without you or he'll keep sending us after you."

"Then I guess you'd better learn to disobey orders," she snapped back at him," I don't care if he threatened to kill you; I doubt I'm that important anyways. But I'm not going with you."

"Sasuke didn't threaten to kill us..." Juugo said with a calm face and Sakura opened her mouth to make yet another snappy remark. But what Juugo said next threw her off balance," Kisame did."

"K-Kisame?" she spluttered, ignoring the questioning look from Kirei," _Hoshigake Kisame_ threatened to kill you?"

Juugo nodded," He said he would if we didn't find you and bring you back safely to Uzumaki Naruto."

Watching this, Karin noticed something strange. At the mention of Naruto, she saw how Sora's face tightened. He bit his lip slightly and averted his eyes towards the wall. She saw a shade of guilt in his eyes and she frowned; so he had a secret to hide and it regarded Naruto. Inwardly, she swore, wishing upon wishes that she could see his chakra and perhaps determine what he was feeling.

"Why would _Kisame_ give a damn?" Sakura demanded, catching Karin's attention again," I've never even met the bastard."

"It's because he thinks it's his duty to finish a promise Itachi made with Naruto," Suigetsu blurted out, getting bored with this twenty questions game," Apparently the two vowed to keep you safe from harm or whatever."

The next sequence of events happened so fast that Suigetsu simply did not know what was occuring at the time, nor what to do about it. All he knew is that he felt a strong pressure on his back where Sora's foot lied and something was cutting deep into his arm. As he was forced face down into the floor, he realized that the sword brat was currently _standing_ on him and cutting his arm with that damn sword. Above him, he heard the shing of metal against metal, before the tell-tale swish of a sword cutting through air. In his peripheral vision, he saw Sora standing on his back, the katana in his right hand cutting into Suigetsu's arm. In his left hand he held his other katana, blocking an attack from Juugo with a kunai.

Deciding to get out of the situation, Suigetsu melted his body and separated his lower half from his upper, effectively escaping Sora's foot. But just as he was reattaching himself standing up, he felt his arm and leg being cut off quickly. They fell to the ground with a splash and he sighed at the samurai.

"Nice speed, but blades don't affect me," he grinned, another arm and leg sprouting where the old ones were. Sora was shocked, but hid it well as he attacked Juugo instead. Suigetsu glanced at Karin, who was pissed off and lying rigidly on the floor; she was paralyzed. Sakura and Kirei were beating a hasty retreat through the back door.

"Just where do you think _you're_ going?" he grinned maliciously, suddenly appearing in front of them. He was expecting something akin to fear to cross their eyes, he was surprised to see both girls just smile back at him.

"Isn't it time for your nap, Suigetsu?" Sakura smiled and Suigetsu knew he was in for it now. Kirei pulled a small vial out of her sleeve and before Suigetsu could stop her, she chugged it down.

"What the-?" he stopped, confused. But then the little girl suddenly had another vial and threw that one down on the floor. A cloud of purple smoke rose from it's contents and then everything went black.

...

An hour later, he awoke to find Juugo shaking him awake. "Eh, what day is it?" he asked groggily, sitting up.

"Same day, you moron," Karin growled at him," It's only been about one hour."

"A whole hour?" Suigetsu shot up, ignoring the lightheadedness he felt," Hurry Juugo, if we go now, we can catch up to them. That brat won't get the best of me again."

"Hey!" Karin screeched at him, wishing she could move from this wall she was lying against to strangle him," Don't even _think_ about leaving me here!" Suigetsu sneered at her.

"You're paralyzed. What good are you _now_?"

"It's merely a temporary paralysis jutsu," Juugo cut in, trying to reassure the helpless kunoichi," You'll be back to normal in another hour or so."

"We don't _have_ another hour or so," Suigetsu said. Flustered and nearly flailing, Karin opened her mouth to scream at the insufferable boy, but Juugo beat her to it.

"No one's leaving you anywhere, Karin," he reassured her, which did little to soothe her. He then shot a certain look at Suigetsu that left no room for argument.

Grumbling, Suigetsu had no choice but to sit down with a huff. He glanced at the back door and got a serious expression on his face. "You have to wonder though..." he pondered aloud," They were so calm as could be until I mentioned the promise between Itachi and Naruto..."

...

"Those bastards!" Sakura sent a fist flying through a poor unfortunate tree. Kirei let out a startled squeak and stopped dead in her tracks. Never before had she seen such strength nor anger coming from her beloved Sakura. Even facing those mysterious people, acting in anger and hatred, it was nothing compared to what she saw now. Had she really just destroyed an entire tree with one punch? Since was Sakura as strong as...as this? Beside her, Sora frowned at Sakura's display of power, but just let her vent it out.

Still seething, Sakura looked back at Kirei, hearing her squeak. Upon seeing Kirei's shocked face, she felt her heart fall. Never had she meant to make the child fear her; she had simply forgotten that Kirei never knew about her strength nor the capabilities of many shinobi.

She sighed heavily, wishing she could dispel this anger she felt, but just couldn't. Instead, she fixed a look at Sora," Sora, could you take Kirei and give me some alone time?" He merely nodded once and grasped his little sister's hand in his.

"C'mon Kirei," he said soothingly, leading her away," Let's let Doc work off her anger. Remember that time when I was angry with Itachi?"

And so they were soon out of her sight. Deciding they were a sufficient distance away, Sakura returned to unleashing her anger out on the nearby trees.

"I can't _believe_ them!" she screamed, punching a hole through a thick trunk," How could theyy do that to me?"

"I don't need their fucking protection," a tree went sailing over the clearing. **("Those bastards need to learn that we can take care of ourselves!" Inner threw in her own punches, letting loose her own fury.) **

"Even after all those years," Sakura demolished a boulder," They all think I'm still. Too. Weak!" It both enfuriated and depressed her. How many years did she train? How many obstacles did she overcome alone? How many battles did she survive? She did it all by herself, for Kami's sake! And yet everyone was still trying to keep her out of harms way. Didn't she vow years ago that she wouldn't watch anyone's back any longer? She set out to become strong so she could stand beside those she wanted to and goddamnit, she did it. Why couldn't everyone else see that? And now Hoshigake Kisame, someone she's never even met and should by all rights be trying to kill her, is set on putting her back in Konoha, where it was supposedly _safer_ for her? Fucking people! Does the word 'missing-nin' mean anything to you? She'll die the instant she sets foot in Konoha.

But that was only her. Only she had to face that unfortunate fate. Should Sasuke ever return to Konoha, he would be welcomed with both arms. Naruto longed for his best friend again; the Rookie's had spent too many years of their lives chasing him down; the Council wouldn't dare execute him for fear of losing the Sharingan. But she, Haruno Sakura, had nothing.

Just the thought of Sasuke made her want to destroy a few more trees and she did. He had always thought of her weak, calling her such and reveling in the pain he brought. He never cared before, why was he beginning to now? _He_ broke those bonds three years ago.

She knew Naruto was chasing after her. As her brother, he would rather _die_ than let anything happen to her. She could only hope that it never came to that, even though she knew Naruto would stop at nothing to change world.

**("Darling Naruto... Not even **_**you**_** can stop the world of reality.")**

And then Itachi...

Sakura choked on her tears and threw a half-hearted punch at a tree. It struck, but the tree still stood. The bark dented in around her fist and cracked halfway throughout the trunk, but the tree still stood tall. Instead of pulling back and attacking again, Sakura let her fist remain half buried and her head hung. The tears began building up in her eyes, threatening to fall like a river, and she clenched her eyes shut in attempt to stem the flow.

She thought he was different. She thought he trusted her enough to take care of herself. To be a real shinobi. He never once made her feel inferior to him, even though he would always be stronger than her. But he never went easy nor babied her when they sparred. He did what he could to make her stronger, not flaunting his obvious power above her head. To Itachi, she was always his equal.

Or so she thought.

She was okay the past few days, thinking he did what he did because of his vow. His vow was to repay her and save her life in redemption for his. Why else would he have stayed by her side when she fell in a coma? Waiting day and night, enduring the disapproval from Sora, waiting for her to open her eyes and tell him that she was okay? Why else would he come back for her at the village, giving her a chance to escape while he faced the ROOT Captain alone? To repay his debt of life.

But now...she didn't know what to think...

Did Itachi protect her, save her life...not because of his promise to...but because he thought she wasn't strong enough on her own? That she was weak? Did he truly believe the ROOT Captain would've destroyed her? And perhaps he might've, given her distressed state of mind, but Itachi could've just helped her instead of telling her to run.

Sakura was tired of running. She'd been running her entire life and she regrets it every day. Even now, she was still running away. From the Hunter-nin, from Sasuke and his team, and from Naruto. But perhaps she was running away from something more. Maybe she was running away from herself. Her weakness followed her around, chasing her down again and again. And everytime she fell, she would get back up again, only to run away again. Running from her weakness. Running from her dreams that shattered everyday.

She was tired of running. So she sat under that tree, weeping for the weak kunoichi she was. She was a strong woman, but a weak kunoichi, and sometimes, a weak woman. Her only refuge now was that lone tree. The tree scarred, but still alive and standing, just like her.

_The scars ran too deep in her soul and heart, yet she still went on, painting fresh coats of white over the bloody scars, telling herself it was okay._

The tree tall and proud, even in the face of imminent doom, just like him.

_He faced his own past with a straight face and unblinking eyes. This was his doing and he would have the dignity to face it. He was strong and he would stand tall. _

The tree standing alone among the fallen trunks, the last survivor, just like _them_.

_He looked up at the sky, feeling as small and insignificant as he really was. There was no one around to take away that empty feel. He was lonely and missed being with _her_. And a thought flashed through his mind before he shook it away. Even with the others around her, did she ever feel as lonely as he did? _

...

**Oh my God...This chapter was such a deep one. There was so much angst and emotion in it, not to mention I was listening to the saddest song ever, that I almost cried writing it. (I'm such a sap for crying while writing sad parts, aren't I?) Also, reading this, I was reminded of another story I read a while ago. Another oneshot about painting over scars like painting over a crack in the wall. The story is 'My White Wall' by Georgie-chan. Check it out. Yeah, there are a lot like that story, but this one is just perfect. **

** So high five to you Georgie-chan!**


	11. The Letter From the Brother

**I wanted to post this chapter up, yet at the same time, I didn't because I wanted to keep the suspension a little bit longer. But I've had numerous requests for this chapter, so I thought bleh, I'll just put it up. Sorry it's short, but you all better be happy, because it's the one you want the most. But I promise the next one will be much longer.**

**...**

The two walked together down the street. Dusk was beginning to fall and few civilians were still going about their day. If one took the time to look at the two walking patiently side by side, they would've been hit by the sensation of juxtaposition.

The one on the left was tall while the one on the right was half a foot shorter than him. The left had flowing black hair. The right with short blonde.

The left: calm and composed while the right: energetic and rambunctious.

The man on the right was bouncing with happiness while his companion had a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Yet as different as these two men were, they both held identical ideals and values. Which, at the moment, involved finding a specific woman for whom they both cared.

"So tell me more about my Sakura-chan," Naruto all but demanded as he folded his hands behind his head. Only slightly noticeable, Itachi glanced at him from the corner of his eye," I'm sure you know more about her than I do."

"Well, I haven't really spent a lot of time with her in a while, you know," the blonde boy admitted guiltily," I hardly know what she's like anymore. I just have this image of how she used to be, but I know she's changed since then."

This time, Itachi did actually look at him," If it comforts you, she's hardly changed in nine months."

To Itachi's credit, any other person would've been startled when Naruto began chuckling. So in his defense, it is perfectly alright to say he was surprised and confused.

"I suppose you don't really know then," Naruto chuckled, amused by some inside thought of his. Itachi thought his laughter sounded particularly dark and half hearted, like he was trying hard to cover something up. Something that hurt him a lot.

"The Sakura i know and remember is from three years ago."

Despite Itachi's questioning eyes, Naruto went on to himself, smiling nostalgically," I went out to train not long after Sasuke left the village and Sakura-chan was left in the village. I suppose it was lucky that she convinced Tsunade to train her, or I don't know what would've happened to her."

"Hatake Kakashi remained in the village as well," Itachi stated.

A wry smile from Naruto all but informed Itachi that even though that was the case, Sakura was also abandoned by her Genin sensei.

"So in retrospect..." Naruto mused and Itachi had to wonder when the baka learned such a word," Even though I saw Sakura-chan when I came back, _you've_ been with her longer than I have in the past three years."

There was certainly more to Haruno Sakura than Itachi originally thought. And for a moment, it was hard to take in. For the past nine months, Sakura had constantly been surprising him by healing him, by taking him into her home, by living peacefully alongside him, by letting him leave so easily. After everything they've been through, it had worried him that she seemed to _expect_ him to leave. That she had already made peace with it. Had even known from the beginning that he would not stay no matter what she did. Now it all made perfect sense to him.

She was used to people leaving her.

Something began digging its way into his chest and throat. It clenched around his heart and blocked his larynx. Images of a pink-haired woman standing still while faceless shapes moved away from her. She ran after one, but could never catch up. She was yelling for the others to help her, but no one came to her aid. Realizing that there was nothing she could do, she stopped running and just stood still.

Maybe that was why she ran after Sasuke so much. He just happened to be the one faceless person that she ran after. So many were moving away from her and when she decided to chase after one, she couldn't catch up. She couldn't do anything about it.

As much as it pained Itachi, he knew the emotion he was now feeling was none other than guilt. Guilt knowing that _he_ was one of those faceless shapes. What did that make him? Did continuing a line of misery and loneliness bring him to an all time low? Yes, Itachi felt lonely, but that was because of the choices _he_ made. No one ever walked away from him, _leaving_ him. He never suffered from feeling unwanted.

Not like Sakura's suffered.

"What did you want to know?" he found himself asking his blonde companion," I will answer to the best of my abilities."

Would Itachi ever admit it, the sight of Naruto's eyes lighting up made the weight bear down a little bit less. "What has she been up to since you met her? What's that village like? Did she talk about me? It better have been good. Does she have any new quirks that I should know about? Like, does she still skip when she's happy or excited?"

...

It took them much longer than either of them had hoped for or expected. A full week later, they walked into a bustling town. To their joy, they could both sense Haruno Sakura's chakra somewhere near the center. The market, as Itachi identified. Within the next five minutes, both infamous and famous shinobi found themselves deep in the bustling crowd.

Sensing her in the quieter herb stall section, Itachi made to go to her, but a call from Naruto halted him. "What is it?" he asked, only slightly annoyed. The serious look on the blonde's face though, confused him. Shouldn't he be joyous that they've finally found her?

"I don't want her to know I'm here."

And just like Sakura always did, Naruto had thrown him for a loop.

At Itachi's demanding-for-explanation face, Naruto continued,"I went looking for Sakura-chan because I wanted to know she's okay. But from what you've told me, I know she's safe and even happy. Just seeing me will make her worry and she'll remember what...what happened. I just want her to forget it and start a new life. It's the least she deserves.

"We came all this way so you could see her," Itachi deadpanned, only realizing the truth too late. They came searching for Sakura for Naruto to see Sakura. Not for Sakura to see Naruto.

Naruto smiled mischeviously, amazed that he had managed to trick the great and almightly Uchiha Itachi. But then he remembered something, for which Itachi could've sworn he saw a light bulb appear over the jinchuuriki's head.

"Ah! I almost forgot," the blonde spoke, digging around in his pockets," Could you give this to her for me? I don't want her to think I've forgotten all about her." Then he produced a letter written by himself. Itachi gave only a hint of curiousity, but accepted the letter.

"Now _go_," Naruto ordered, having the audacity to _push_ Itachi in Sakura's direction," Before she runs off again." The elder Uchiha brother glared at him, but even that could not deter a determined Naruto.

"And this time, _stay_," he continued, ordering the missing-nin as if he were a dog," If I find out you leave again, I'll come find you and kick your ass all the way to Suna." Itachi smirked, knowing that if he wanted to, he could easily defeat the exuberant blonde.

But instead, he merely continued to do what he originally set foot in this city for. As he walked away from Naruto and towards Sakura, he could almost _feel_ the blonde's joyful smile.

"Cheeky brat," he murmured under his breath before forgetting all about him. All that mattered now was that Sakura was within sight.

She was walking among the fragrant herbal booths, carrying a wicker basket on her right elbow. She had pushed aside her cloak on this hot day and so her red shinobi outfit could be seen.

Sora and Kirei trailed behind her, taking in the sights of the busy market. Kirei was clearly ecstatic, pointing to many things and turning to Sora, obviously asking what they were. As for Sora, Itachi noted with interest that the swordsman was now wielding his katanas along his back, ready to be drawn at any moment. Itachi could only remember seeing only one of those particular weapons on only one occasion: the attack on the village. Sora hadn't even touched it since then. Now seeing not one, but two strapped across his back had to make Itachi wonder if something had happened in the past couple weeks.

...

Naruto waited almost (keyword, _almost_) patiently in the crowd, almost. Sitting on a bench where had a clear view of Sakura, he sat tapping his foot, waiting to see how she would react to his letter. Unfortunately, he expected Itachi to take his sweet time getting to her, if he knew how Uchiha's acted. Most likely, the teme's brother would come upon her only after she sat down or when she least expected it. Itachi just delighted in scaring the living daylights out of people by popping up out of nowhere. Trust him, this past week had given him prime examples of Itachi's dark joy.

Luckily for Naruto, Itachi did none of those things today. To Naruto's surprise, the ex-Akatsuki headed straight for her, purposeful in his strides. As Naruto watched, the first person Itachi greeted was Kirei with a small tap on the shoulder. He watched as she turned around and literally flew into his arms, wrapping her small arms around his neck and screaming in delight. He smiled; he never expected Itachi to be a kids sort of man. That much was obvious when the dark man returned the child's hug, even if with only one arm.

Next, Sora marched right up to his arch-rival (Naruto had determined that Sora was to Itachi as Sasuke was to himself). The two men stared at each other for a few moments, sizing each other up. Even from his distance, Naruto could just feel the tension building between the two. But all that tension was instantly dissolved when Sora held out his hand with confidence. Just as sure of himself, Itachi grasped the younger man's hand and gave it a good squeeze. They were finally friends.

Finally, he turned to Sakura. Naruto expected her to smile and hug him in joy, but she did the total opposite. With a few unheard words, her hand flew out and slapped him across the face. To Naruto's total amazement, Itachi did absolutely nothing, even as she began cursing at him and poking him harshly in the chest. He just waited patiently until she was ended with her rant to say something. And if Naruto's lip reading were existant at all, he would've known that the great Uchiha freaking Itachi had just _apologized_ to Haruno Sakura.

This somewhat mollified the irate woman as she demanded to know why he came back. And again, if Naruto could read lips, he would've seen the older man respond with the mysterious phrase," I don't want to be one of those people."

As Sakura was deciphering his words, he chose that moment to hand her Naruto's letter. Watching as she opened it, Naruto smiled, remembering when he wrote it. He wanted to write her something more, to tell her that everything was okay, that he was working on getting her back home. But as he sat there for a good ten minutes, he could only think of one thing to write...

**"Sorry I couldn't keep my promise and bring Team 7 back together, but at least I was able to return the right Uchiha to you. Love, the Future Hokage and Your Favoritist Brother, Naruto."**

**...**

**THERE! NOW YOU ARE ALL HAPPY AGAIN!**


	12. The Namesake

As he sat in that room surrounded by old politicians, Kakashi wondered how he ended up here. He knew he was supposed to be listening to them bicker and argue between themselves, but he just couldn't bring himself to actually do it. Yes, this was where the final decision for the 6th Hokage was to be made and his rival for the position was sitting across from him, but all he could think about was the search Ino and Sai were still devoted to. As he remembered the day when Tsunade admitted to Sakura's mission, his eyes wandered to ROOT Captain Doro, who was avidly a part of the debate. (Kakashi wasn't too concerned with entering; he knew he had at least a few strong supporters among the politicians.)

So instead, he mused on all that's happened so far. The entire Rookie 9 plus Team 6 knew that Sakura had been burned and blacklisted by their own government. But that made no difference in comparison to the upcoming war and there wasn't much they could do about it. After the attack on the village, a Summit had been called, but Konoha had yet to produce a Hokage. The Summit was quickly approaching, yet the decision was still unmade. Until today, at least.

Even though the rest of the village was preparing for war, the ever loyal Ino and her newfound partner in crime, Sai, was not. Speaking of the artist, Kakashi has barely seen the boy in the past months. Between doing the ROOT's duties and his secret escapades to the Archives, Uchiha Estates, or wherever Ino sends him, he's barely had enough time to sleep. If Kakashi were not so concerned with what they were researching, he would've thought the extended time the two spent together might someday lead to something more. But he never knew, for he had no idea what the duo's discovered and could only hope that Ino knew what she was doing.

"Then the decision is made," a statement from one of the Council Elders made Kakashi raise his head. Already? Though it was declared that the 6th Hokage _would_ be chosen today, they've barely been at it for more than an hour.

It had been the shortest debate he's seen yet. And the predatory glint in Doro's smile did not bode well in Kakashi's stomach.

"Konoha needs a strong leader who will bring order back into the system, especially during these trying times," Himura, the other Council Elder, spoke.

Then the female Elder (A/N: SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HER NAME!) turned her gaze onto Kakashi," Hatake Kakashi, your style of leadership is meant more for times of peace and growth. With the growing threat of the Akatsuki, ROOT Captain Doro is the most fitting choice."

To Kakashi and Iruka's dismay, the other Council members all nodded in agreement, even the ones who were supposedly loyal to Kakashi. In an instant, Iruka was one his feet and ready to defend Kakashi with all his might.

"Don't waste your breath, Iruka," the copy nin ordered the Chuunin down in an unidentifiable voice," They've made their choice and it's not me." Iruka waivered for a moment, unsure to continue fighting, but Kakashi was right. Even though deep in his gut he knew foul play had been involved, the decision had still been made and declared.

Danzo's diabolical ROOT Captain was now the 6th Hokage.

….

"We lost her," Karin admitted ruefully, blushing in embarrassment. As she explained the confrontation with the Haruno woman, she left out the part where she was easily hit by a paralysis technique. But that plan was thrown out the window when Suigetsu decided to butt in. Though even as Sasuke gave them all disapproving glares, she would never admit what had really happened. In truth, it was not Haruno Sakura, but the little girl who had tapped the back of Karin's neck, rendering her motionless.

While Sasuke and Suigetsu argue back and forth, each trying to figure out who was to blame, Karin was deep in thought. The whole meeting with the elusive woman had left more questions than answers. First and foremost, why didn't this Sora character have any chakra? Judging by the sword he expertly wielded, she could guess that he was the samurai. But even such warriors have chakra within them; just blocked by inhibitors. But Sora…he had _no_ chakra. He was completely invisible to her radar. Grimly, she suspected he was the same to the infamous Byakugan and Sharingan. To be unseen by the Byakugan and unpredicted by the Sharingan…it made Sora a highly dangerous individual.

Then there came the problem of the little girl. Karin knew that no one on their team could even dream of harming the adorable child, yet… if Sakura was truly training Kirei in the art of the kunoichi, which made her a threat as well. And if they were all as hostile to Sasuke as Sakura was, then Team Taka was in for more than they bargained for…

"We leave again tomorrow morning," Sasuke's order broke her out of her thoughts. Karin frowned; he was still going after her, even after receiving her warning? Sakura had made it very clear that she didn't want to be found, much less by _him_. Why was he so determined to get to her now? And what if he did catch up to her, what did he plan to do then? Bring her back to Akatsuki to keep her save while he destroyed Konoha? Or bring her back to Uzumaki Naruto and leave it at that? Either way, she would hate him for it and would most likely lead to her death. Couldn't he see that she was better out in the world where she had the freedom of a missing-nin?

"Just let it go, Sasuke," Juugo spoke up. Suigetsu and Karin flinched visibly at Sasuke's resulting glare, though Juugo seemed unperturbed.

"_**What?**_" Sasuke hissed, eyes turning blood red. Though Juugo felt the rage literally pouring off of Sasuke, he knew that he could not just stop now. He felt too strongly about what he was going to say and he couldn't keep quiet about it any longer. So let Sasuke get angry with him and maybe even try to kill him. Let the rage filling the room activate his own curse and send him into a killing frenzy. Juugo had something to say and he was going to say it.

"She doesn't want to be found," he elaborated, raising his chin just a tiny bit, standing up to his leader," She's made it clear that she wants to be left alone. And it seems that she holds some hostility towards you personally… She told us as such."

"Well, you _did_ try to kill her at some point," Suigetsu added. Juugo glanced at him and the shark boy just gave him a look. Though he may have regretted standing up with him, Suigetsu was loyal to his friends and would have Juugo's back if worse came to worst.

"And what about Kirei and Sora?" Karin piped up, feeling it her duty to add the two into the equation and feeling brave enough to do it when the other two men were agreeing with her," What happens to them if we just take Sakura away from them?"

Sasuke gave her a look that clearly said that he didn't care.

"They're protective of her," Juugo pointed out," Sora especially. If we just take Sakura-san away, he'll come after us, Sasuke. And we have no idea just how powerful he is; without chakra, he's immune to many techniques."

"Maybe even to your Sharingan, since he has no chakra structure for you to see," Karin added, but immediately regretted it. The resulting glare she received was so fierce that she was forced to hide behind Suigetsu. The light haired man glanced back at her, feeling the urge to tease her like always for being such a coward. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Seeing her so afraid of their own leader sent a strange feeling through his chest and he didn't like it. She had only been speaking the truth and trying to stop Sasuke from getting himself killed. With a hard face, Suigetsu looked back at the youngest Uchiha. Deep inside himself, he knew that he would always be loyal to the man who set him free from Orochimaru, but even Suigetsu knew that something needed to be done.

"Let it go, Sasuke," Juugo repeated and this time, Suigetsu couldn't find it in himself to argue with him.

Backed into a corner with his team against him, Sasuke did not know which way to go. More than anything, he wanted to go against each and every one of them, to argue back at them, and eventually go after his ex-teammate regardless. He was a stubborn man and he knew what he wanted to do. But a small part of him held him back. A small part wanted to believe them; that they knew best; that he had to trust them.

Trust…It was such a hard concept to grasp after pushing it away for so long. He had once trusted Team 7, and then he realized it would be his downfall. He had sworn to never make those bonds again, and yet here he was, considering trusting his new teammates. Could he trust them and what they said? That the best thing to do now was to let Sakura go and live her own life, regardless of the dangers she would face?

"Sasuke…" Suigetsu finally spoke up, deciding that it was time for him to enter the fray. He saw how Sasuke looked at him with hopeful eyes; he was silently hoping, _praying_, that the original team member of Team Hebi would take his side on this. Though it pained Suigetsu to see that tiny spark in Sasuke's eyes, he knew he could not defend his only friend on this one.

He paused for a moment, thinking hard about what he was going to say. Everything rode on this and whatever he said would be the final nail in the coffin. This was dangerous ground he was treading on and he knew it. His lavender eyes glanced down at the floor, seeing perpetual shards of glass ready to slice him up, then back up to see his team leader's dark eyes.

"You know we'll help you with whatever quest you set out on," he started," We're loyal to you and no one else, but that doesn't mean we don't want you to make the right decisions."

"Think of Sakura-san," he continued, gulping slightly," She's lost everything and has only barely made a new life for herself. I've only met her once, and even I could see that she would rather die than lose it again. What happened to her wasn't fair and if we did this, we would be no better than the scum in Konoha. If we took her away from everything she has, from the people she _loves_, could you live with yourself?"

The team was silent for a full minute as Suigetsu's words sand in. Karin stared open mouthed at the boy she hid behind, completely flabbergasted. Never had she thought that Suigetsu had the capacity to think so empathetically. She stared and stared, but Suigetsu's eyes did not waiver from Sasuke's. Seeing him stand so tall and straight, seeing him stare so relentlessly at his leader, seeing him with such a serious face…. It put him in a light that she's never seen him in before. This was not the Suigetsu she knew, but perhaps someone greater.

Juugo looked back and forth between Suigetsu and Sasuke. He knew what Suigetsu was asking of the youngest Uchiha. Yes, the pain that would be inflicted on Sakura would be comparable to the pain Sasuke felt as a child, but what they were asking was a direct opposite of everything Sasuke believed in. They were asking him to give up; to give up on a goal he had set for himself. Could Suigetsu's words sink through and do the impossible?

Unfortunately, some people in this world have the worst sense of timing as Madara stepped out of the shadows," Sasuke, I need to- Am I interrupting something?" In an instant, he found four pairs of eyes glaring at him.

"No, I've made my decision," Sasuke replied icily, doing his best to keep a blank front to Madara. Team Taka's eyes shifted towards him, full of hope and wonder.

"And?" Karin asked, worried that the answer would be the wrong one.

Sasuke's eyes were hard and cold as he turned his gaze to hers," Suigetsu's right; I shouldn't get involved with Haruno's problems. But I can't let it go," he frowned," Konoha is responsible for what happened to her and my brother…"

Karin's eyes widened, fearing for the worst. "Sasuke…no…" Suigetsu spoke up, but it was too late.

"I will avenge them both and _destroy_ Konoha," the self-appointed avenger vowed, full of hatred and conviction.

As Team Taka began their protests, feeling their hearts breaking, Madara just smirked darkly behind his mask. Things were just getting better and better, for him at least. At first, he had worried that his team of his would alter with his plans and he would have to take them out, but luckily Sasuke was not swayed.

"Then I have important news for you, Sasuke," he spoke, capturing everyone's attention," Konoha has elected a new Hokage and I think you'll like to know who it is."

**...**

The streets were quiet as they walked on past the houses and small shops. Sora led them through the town, while Sakura and Itachi hung back, just enjoying each other's company. Kirei determinedly held onto Itachi's hand, but the older man did not complain and let her do as she wished. Happy, the small child swung her arms (and Itachi's hand, much to his dismay) back and forth while humming a tune. Sakura watched on; her line of thought very much similar to Naruto's. To this day, it still amazed her how much Itachi loved children. Back in the village, he never could say no to either Kirei or the other four children. (He had adored Takara the most; the headstrong and stubborn little daughter of Shinjiru and Nozomi.) In fact, he was always a bit overprotective of them and did was he could to make them happy. If that meant sitting with a bunch of kids and playing childish games and telling them stories of ninjas, then he would do it. Many a time, Sakura had guessed that his behavior was rooted in the belief that he felt guilty for not being the brother Sasuke needed. Perhaps he was trying to compensate for what he had done…

"Sakura," the object of her thoughts spoke and she looked up at him. Itachi's eyes were focused on the shopping basket in her hands, where the strong scent of lavender wafted from.

The scent was very similar to him, as their cottage had always smelled like the flower. Itachi had never thought anything of it, thinking Sakura just liked the scent. But until now, the memory of their first day never reentered his mind. That day, Sakura had been making a sleeping draught (something she made quite often). Back then, it had been for a villager, so why would she need to make it now? And Itachi knew that was what she was making; he easily recognized the smell of lavender, Lily of the Valley, and thyme.

"What has happened since I left?" he asked, tying all of his questions all into one. Why does Sora carry his sword so freely now? Why is Sakura making sleeping medicines? Why is Kirei's chakra signature developing at a faster rate?

Sakura thought for a moment before averting her gaze away from his. Her eyes were somber, thinking back on what has occurred in the past two weeks. Only two days after Itachi left, she and Sora discovered that Kirei had the aptitude for shinobi jutsus.

The tiny little girl had somehow channeled her chakra into the soles of her feet to easily climb a steep hill. Sora had noticed it first, wondering why gravity wasn't pulling her down. After some investigations and much debate, they decided it would be best to begin training Kirei. It was agreed that Sora would first begin her physical training while Sakura taught her how to develop her chakra for medical jutsus and such. Surprisingly, Kirei took to it rather well, easily learning medical jargon and human anatomy. It was difficult for Sora though, since he always had to be careful to not go too hard on his little sister.

Sakura told all of this to Itachi, which he congratulated Kirei for. The child's eyes lit up at the older nin's praise and promised to do her best… only if he agreed to teach her "cool ninjutsu and stuff" when she was old enough. Sakura giggled at Itachi's blank face, but true to his nature, he could not say no to Kirei.

When Kirei happily skipped up to her older brother, Itachi returned his questioning stare to Sakura. "And Sora's sword?' he all but demanded.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek nervously. "Well…" she began," A couple days ago, we got a visit from someone…"

Itachi sighed," I presume it was my little brother's team?"

Sakura wanted to ask how he knew that, but didn't want to ask at the same time. Damn Itachi always seemed to know _everything_. But really…how did he _know_?

"Naruto-kun was not the only one I ran into," Itachi answered her silent question, furthering her belief that he could read minds," It appears my little brother had been searching for you…" He shot Sakura an unreadable look, one she could not decipher. Staring at him, she couldn't tell if she saw an amusing look, a warning, or was it… the look of having been betrayed?

Numbly, she nodded," We managed to give them the slip, but we're not sure if they're still following us." Still with an unreadable face, Itachi gazed back forward," You don't have to worry about him anymore; he now knows that you want to be left alone."

Sakura gave him a hard look," You revealed yourself to your brother?" Itachi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and nearly chuckled. Though he couldn't see it very well, he could just imagine her shocked/angered face. And he could understand. After all the trouble they've gone through to keep his true identity a secret, it would be disastrous if Sasuke were to find out that he was still alive.

Still slightly amuse, he told her what had really happened, which seemed to mollify her a bit. But then he asked what had happened between them and Team Taka; something similar to regret creeped into his conscious.

Sakura set such a hard glare onto him that although he could barely see it, he could just _feel_ the anger radiating off of her. "They told me that the reason Sasuke is trying to find me is because of _you_, Uchiha Itachi."

Oh no, she used his full name…This could not end well.

"You-You've," she stumbled over her words, unsure how to say it and pissed off at the same time," You never wanted Team 7 to fall apart. They told me that you made a pact with Naruto-kun to keep the rest of it safe. _Me_. You both knew damn well that I was the only member left of Team 7."

"I can take care of myself, you arrogant bastard. I don't need your or Naruto-kun's protection. I've gotten along just fine by myself for the past couple years. Sasori didn't kill me; that stupid missing-nin from Iwa couldn't beat me; I can take down a lot of Konoha's Jounins on my own- Are you even _listening_ to me?"

Truth be told, Itachi had tuned her out long ago. The only thing running through his mind was,_' She called him Sasuke, not Sasuke-__**kun**__. She doesn't love him anymore.'_ Though he couldn't name it, he felt something warm and… happy? rise in his chest.

"Itachi!"

Back a ways, Sora and Kirei watched the unfolding battle. Sora was thoroughly amused at Itachi's expense, but still didn't know what had Sakura so upset. What the hell was she talking about? Did she mean Akasuna no Sasori, the puppet master that disappeared twenty years ago? What stupid missing-nin from Iwa? Was she this angry because Itachi and this Naruto kid were trying to keep her safe? Didn't girls _like_ it when guys fought to protect them?

"And another thing," Sakura continued when Itachi finally looked her way again," Why the hell did _Kisame_ send Sasuke to do it? They said the shark-bastard was trying to fulfill your half of the promise; why the hell should he even care?"

"Hmm," Itachi mused, angering her further," So Kisame's still loyal to me…Interesting. This could prove useful in the future."

"_None_ of us are going anywhere _near_ Kisame or Akatsuki," Sakura commanded," I will _not_ have Kirei getting caught up in that war. But you're missing the point!"

If Itachi were any other man, he would've sighed in annoyance. But this was Itachi, so instead he waited patiently for her to finish.

"_Why_ did you care so much about Team 7? About _Konoha_? All this time, were you protecting Konoha? Was what happened 8 years ago even your fault? Or your choice?"

On a normal basis, Itachi would've congratulated Sakura for being so observant and clever. Just with tiny hints and clues, she was shedding light on something so long forgotten and hidden. Though she never said it, they both knew what had happened 8 years ago. The Uchiha Clan Massacre. They very thing that still haunted him to this day. Though Itachi showed no reaction to her words, Sakura knew she had hit, no…_hammered_, a sore spot.

"Itachi…" her voice softened," I _know_ you. For nine months, I've gotten to know you. And also…" she trailed off, debating whether to finish or not. Itachi glanced at her, wondering what else she had to say. Over nine months, what had she learned about him to make her have such conviction in him?...

_With somber eyes, she sat on the edge of her bed, trying to block out the pitiful sound. But she could not close it out. With each 'sorry' muttered and each tear staining the pillow, her heart wrenched even more. She had seen grown men fall to their knees and cry when they found out their child was born stillborn; she had heard the sobs of children when their dogs were killed; she had seen so many funerals and heard so much crying. But nothing could compare to what she had to sit through now. How she just wanted it to stop; to make everything better again; to have no reason for such tears and heartfelt apologies. _

_ Before the tears could well up in her own eyes, she silently stood. Pulling out the jar hidden in her pack, she frowned. It had always been a soothing tea, reminding of relaxation and peace, but now the meaning attached to this jar was depression. _

_ Silently, she set to preparing the tea. His throat would be sore when he awoke and she wished to ease his pain, if only by a little…_

Itachi stared at her, pondering the possibilities but coming up empty-handed. But she was not going to tell him, instead opting to continue with her protests," I know that wasn't _you_, Itachi. The Itachi I know is peaceful, calm, even a _pacifist_. Not _that _person."

Itachi knew there was something she was not telling him.

"People can change in 8 years," he said quietly. Why couldn't she just let it go? Why did she have to know?

"Not _that_ much," she argued," People don't change from being a cold-hearted clan murderer to being…to being _you_."

"I am still me, Sakura," he argued back but his heart just wasn't into his declarations," Though I've changed, I'm still me. Uchiha Itachi, the Uchiha clan murderer." She was silent and Itachi hoped that she would just accept it and let the subject go.

But Sakura was thinking. He believed so strongly in what he was saying, there was no doubt about it, but Sakura just did not. Itachi thought of himself as that monster from 8 years ago… How could she convince him that that _wasn't_ him? He wasn't a monster and Sakura knew that. But she couldn't convince him nor help him until she learned what _really_ happened 8 years ago.

"No…" she said softly, even whispered," You're not him anymore. You're Itachi. Just…_Just_ Itachi."

He didn't know what to say to that. He absolutely didn't know how to believe her; how to believe that she thought that of him. But she was Sakura, and she believed in the good in everyone. Where had she gotten this heart of hers? This overwhelming feeling of acceptance and love, for even the most heinous of men such as himself? How could she see good in him?

_She stared at the blank gravestone with curious eyes. It sat underneath a beautiful Sakura tree, all alone with no company but the tree. But it wasn't alone anymore. Five people stood around it, each one silent and somber. But there were no tears, just small smiles and warm eyes. They were happy to be here and she couldn't understand it. This was a grave; wasn't there someone buried underneath there? People cried at graves, feeling pity and sadness at the loss of someone dear. So why were they so calm about it? Like they __**wanted **__to be here?_

_ "Oji-san, what's going on?" she asked, looking up at the older man. A wrinkled hand was laid across the headstone, honoring it like a family heirloom. Though there was no name on this headstone, everyone in their clan knew who it was for. _

_ Old green eyes looked down into younger and brighter ones. Haruno Sakura was such a pretty little girl; she was filled with the hope for the future, the hope that their small clan placed into this one child. _

_ She had been named after this tree, the symbol of their clan and their belief. This tree looked over this grave and gave it the love and care it deserved. _

_ "This tree is your namesake, Sakura," he told her," When you grow up, you will do what this tree is doing. You are the hope for the future and full of love."_

_ She scrunched up her eyebrows, not getting it. _

_ Her father stepped forward and pulled out a tiny slip of paper. "On this paper is written the name of someone who has died recently," he explained, laying it in front of the grave," A missing-nin from Kiri who was finally caught. He will have no funeral, no grave, no one to mourn his death from his home."_

_ "So we must give him the love he never had," her mother added, kneeling before the grave and smiling," His memory and soul will join the others here, where our clan will honor him." And to Sakura's amazement, her mother dug back the earth in front of the grave to reveal a small hole. Inside was a tin box and when opened, was filled with tiny slips of paper. There were names, so many names, and one more was added. _

_ "But if he was a missing-nin, wasn't he a bad person?" Sakura asked._

_ Sakura's grandfather just smiled as his daughter replaced the tin box in its rightful home. This grave was his family's legacy and it was time for it to be passed on. _

_ "There is no such thing as a bad person, Sakura," he told her," Sometime in his life, he did something good. There was a shred of good in him, just like you and me. And it is our duty to honor him for it. For that one good deed is enough."_

_ She was still confused, but followed her father's example and bowed to the grave. This was not a grave for one person, but for many. It was filled with the people the rest of the world did not care for, but their family did. _

_ Grandfather Haruno looked on, smiling. Sakura was the youngest of the clan, and would most likely be the last. Their clan was dwindling down and now only five remained. But throughout their history, Sakura was the first Haruno to ever become a shinobi. She would be thrown into a reality of death and killing, but would be okay. After all, she was named after this tree, which looked over the lost ones. And in the shinobi world, Sakura would do the same. _

"Just tell me the truth, Itachi," she pleaded. Again, she tried even though she knew he would refuse. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't give up.

Much to her surprise, he didn't refuse at first. Instead, he seemed to actually consider telling her the truth. "Alright," he said quietly," I'll tell you."

But before she could open her mouth to reply and her heart could rise up, he added," But I will tell you when I'm ready. I'll tell you someday, but not now." She frowned and wanted to argue, but thought better of it. If she knew the Itachi, she knew he was stubborn as hell and would not give in.

But she could wait. She was used to waiting. So she nodded her consent and let it go for now.

**...**

** There you have it. The legacy of the Haruno clan. **


	13. The Way to Remember Me

**I'm back pendejos! Aren't you all happy that Itachi is back with the gang? Though I suppose it's not as happy since the slimeball ROOT Captain is now the Sixth Hokage. *tears* **

**...**

"This is bad," Kiba said grimly, sitting on Akamaru's back. He glanced up at his best friend, Shino, who stood on top of a shipment of wood planks. Though he couldn't see the Aburame's face, Kiba knew his best friend enough to know that Shino was frowning as well. Kiba's eyes drifted downward, till they landed on their female teammate, Hinata. With a grief-stricken face, she sat on the ground, leaning against the wood. Only a few moments ago, she had been standing, laughing and joking with them. And then the news arrived and her legs gave out beneath her.

All around them, he saw the remaining members of Rookie Nine assembled in what now had become their meeting spot. Hidden away among the shipments of wood, they were hardly ever bothered and could discuss team matters freely. It appears even now, their little spot now became a safe haven, being the first place they went to seek comfort.

The bearer of bad news, Shikamaru stood still, wishing he had better news to tell everyone. But no one blamed him; they all knew it was coming anyways. Just having someone so trusted say it outloud made it hurt all that more.

Having the new Sixth Hokage, they all knew the danger that it posed for their beloved friends. Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, and others feared for Naruto. ROOT was now in control of Konoha, and given their deep hatred and fear of the Kyuubi, would take no time in targeting Naruto.

On the other hand, Neji, Tenten, Sai, and Ino especially feared for Sakura. The ROOT, and it's captain especially, still thirsted for Sakura's head on a platter and would stop at nothing to obtain it. She had stood for everything they were against, and she even managed to take down their beloved leader. Oh yes, Sakura was in a whole lot of trouble.

And yet, while everyone worried and feared for others, only Naruto feared for someone else entirely. Sasuke and Sakura. Both were in grave danger and neither had much time. They both had death warrants on their heads, and every nation in the world was set on hunting them down. Even now, Naruto couldn't believe it. _How _could that bastard turn the world against Sakura-chan? It had only been a matter of time til the world came after Sasuke, but Sakura was a different matter? What had she ever done to the other villages? To anyone outside of ROOT? She was still Haruno Sakura, Konoha's sweetheart and top medic.

But Naruto knew why, even though he didn't admit it. Nor could he come out and show them proof that they wrong. He couldn't stop the world from believing that Sakura had joined forces with Sasuke. That she was now in Akatsuki, planning world destruction alongside the two most evil men on the planet. For that is what the world believed and Naruto could do nothing to stop it.

"So what do we do now?" Tenten asked, looking around for answers. Unfortunately, everyone searched for the same thing.

Ino hung her head, feeling the tears rise to the surface. Everything just seemed so hopeless now. She had worked so hard, so long, so diligently, to help Naruto save Sakura, but everything was lost now. Tsunade had confessed to the Rookie Nine about Sakura's secret mission to assassinated Danzou and had been their strongest chance at opposing the Council Elders.

But Tsunade was in a coma. How could she tell the village the truth? Who would believe these few teenagers that their government was corrupt?

Ino still clung onto the hope that somehow Itachi was connected to Sakura's fate, pouring through document after document. But there was so little to study. She knew the entire history of the Uchiha's, she knew of Uchiha Madara and the beginning of a century long power struggle between Uchiha and Senju. Hell, she even discovered Naruto's lineage as a Senju, being the last of his kind, just like Sasuke was the last of his people. Everything was there. But as soon as it hit Itachi's generation, everything had been erased. The only thing left was his birth and death certificate. Uchiha Itachi had become nothing more than a memory.

There was nothing. Nothing to help her save her best friend's life.

"Ino. Sai," Naruto spoke up, catching everyone's attention," I need to talk to you."

Confused, the two nodded consent. No one said a word as the trio walked away.

**...**

Surprisingly, Naruto led them to Hatake Kakashi's apartment. Or what had become his apartment since his old one was destroyed. He only had to knock once before the ex-ANBU operative opened the door. No words were exchange and they were let in. Kakashi didn't seem surprised to see them standing there, though Ino had come to learn that nothing really shocked the man.

As three teenagers filled his modest livingroom, Kakashi mentally frowned to himself. When he first got his Genin team, he never though it could change this much in only three years. First, the betrayal of Sasuke had nearly broken the two remaining members. Separated from each other and isolated from the other shinobi, it had been difficult for the both of them to rebuild their happiness. Upon reuniting and the addition of Sai into the team, Team 7 had been reformed. Seeing how the new team interacted, Kakashi had had a hope that things would be okay. Sasuke was never forgotten, yet having Sai and having a real team again was starting to heal their old wounds again.

And then there was Sakura... When he looked at the newly reformed Team 7, where he should've seen Sakura, Kakashi now saw Ino.

"It's been a while since we talked," he said nonchalantly, standing in front of the three," You still haven't told us what happened on your little quest, Naruto." Immediately, three sets of eyes stared at the blonde, waiting (demanding) an answer.

Naruto glanced down at his feet, suddenly finding them so interesting. It was now or never, and they deserved to know the truth. The whole truth.

"I found Sasuke," he admitted, figuring it was the best place to start," I told him about Sakura-chan. I though he would at least care a little bit, seeing as he was always protecting her when we were kids, but..." Naruto choked on his words," But he doesn't care anymore. Not about Konoha, not even about Sakura-chan. He just doesn't care anymore."

Ino just sighed; she figured as much when Sai told her that Naruto was going to Sasuke for help. She just knew it was unlikely that Sasuke still harbored feelings for Sakura, if he ever had any in the first place.

Kakashi frowned; of all people, he knew Sakura used to mean the most to Sasuke. He had always been so protective of her, even from their boisterous teammate. Though he mocked the blonde, Kakashi had always known Sasuke only doubted Naruto's ability to protect their only female teammate because he didn't want to take any chances. Sasuke never took chances with something that mattered to him. If Sasuke had truly moved on from _her_, then there might be no hope for him.

Sai just stared at Naruto, feeling a pit of anger burn in his chest. Though he couldn't name the feeling, he didn't like seeing that expression on Naruto's face. The blonde's face was so destraught and pained, for the mere knowledge of Sasuke's indifference had nearly broken him down. Sai knew Sasuke was to blame for Naruto's pain and that made him hate him a little bit more.

"So you came back home afterwards?" Kakashi questioned. But all were surprised when Naruto shook his head," No. I found Sakura-chan too."

It was at that moment that all hell broke loose. Or at least, Ino set it free. But a little bit of that hell came from Sai and Kakashi.

"And you didn't bring her back?" Ino screeched at him. Roaring like an angry she-cat, she grasped him by the collar and shook him like a ragdoll. "You found Sakura-chan and you didn't bring her back home? You _idiot_! I could've seen my best friend again! We could've revoked her sentence and protect her from that damn ROOT Captain! We could've proven she's not part of Akatsuki! You _idiot! Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot!_"

By now, Naruto was nearly unconcious and dizzy in the head. His eyes swirled as the colors of the room began to twirl. He tried looking at Ino, honestly he did, but all he saw was a furious blob of yellow and blue. Luckily for him, his team was starting to realize his dire situation.

"I think that's enough, Ino," his sensei laid a hand on the seething blonde's shoulder," We need him conscious."

Reluctangly, Ino released the object of her anger and stepped back, huffing and crossing her arms. After a few minutes, when the room finally righted itself in Naruto's eyes, he could think again.

_'Just like Sakura-chan_,' he thought grimly, glancing warily at Ino.

"Why didn't you bring her back, Naruto?" Sai asked him quietly. Naruto turned to him.

"Because I don't want her in Konoha," he answered truthfully, and before Ino could attack him again, he quickly added," Because she's much safer where she is. I'd only put her in danger if I brought her back here."

In that instant, Ino jumped on his statement," But she doesn't know that every nation is after her. She isn't prepared to face what's coming after her; what if she gets _killed_? She's strong, Naruto, but she can't hold of hundreds of Hunter-nin."

To their utter amazement, their blonde idiot friend only grinned widely. Even Kakashi raised an eyebrow while Ino's jaw literally dropped to the floor.

"Please explain before Ino has a heart attack," Sai sighed and rubbed his forehead. Really, why was he so confusing at times? Nothing in the books quite covered anyone as strange as Uzumaki Naruto...

Instead of vocally explaining, which Sai was kinda hoping for, Naruto just handed a white envelope to Kakashi. Confused, he took the envelope and gave it a quick once-over. Naruto's name was written on it and though the handwriting wasn't quite clear, it seemed familiar to him. Pushing his thoughts aside, he opened the letter and pulled out a single sheet of paper.

"_Naruto. She misses you,_" he read out loud, and then froze. His eyes widened dramatically and the paper fell from his hands. Ino quickly snatched it up, but when inspected it herself, she found nothing special about it. So what had Kakashi worked up over?

"It...It can't be..."

In the end, it came to Sai to question Naruto," So she's traveling with someone?" Naruto eagerly nodded," Yup. Two big guys and a little girl."

"So one of them wrote you that letter to reassure you," Sai guessed, pointing to the letter in Ino's grasp and ignoring Kakashi's shaking hands," But why does it make you so sure she's safe with them?" Naruto only grinned wider.

"I met the guy adn we had some time to get to know each other," he said vaguely, relishing in the suspension," And trust me when I say he won't let anything happen to Sakura-chan."

Ino frowned, nearing the limit to her patience," Naruto. Just one shinobi won't be enough to hold of hundreds of Hunter-nins."

To her complete shock, the irritating brat burst into gales of laughter," But he's not just _any_ shinobi!" He looked at Kakashi," _Right, _sensei?"

Both Sai and Ino turned to the older man, demanding answers and demanding them _now_. Kakashi took a deep breath," I...I ...I haven't seen this handwriting in over eight years... Not since he left the ANBU."

"An ex-ANBU?" Ino gasped," Sakura-chan found an ex-ANBU?"

"Not just _any_ ex-ANBU," Naruto waggled his eyebrows," You recognize who it is, Kaka-sensei?"

Kakashi looked at him with a wide eye," It's quite a bit more messy, but not surprising regarding his eyesight and it would be more difficult for him to write, but it's still him. How did you _get_ this, Naruto?"

"Like I said, I met him and he gave that to me. He's the one that let me get close enough to see Sakura-chan."

"Would someone _please_ explain?" Ino finally lost it, long past the end of her patience," Who the fuck are you guys talking about? What makes him so special, huh? Can you tell me that?"

With a grim expression, Kakashi looked at both her and Sai. What he said, was news they never expected to hear," It means that Uchiha Itachi is still alive and he's with Sakura-chan."

**...**

It wasn't until later that night that he remembered the little basket of sleeping herbs. During his absence, Sora had bought Skaura a portable stove to boil tea and medicines. At the moment, she was currently bent over the thing in their hotel room, stirring it absentmindedly with a spoon. Itachi sat next to Kirei on teh bed, trying to meditate in peace, but failing. The relaxing scent of lavender was distracting him too much and made him think of earlier times. Past memories kept popping into his head instead of clearing his mind. Always, it made him think of those months he and her spent together in the village, since it was such a significant herb in their cottage. He supposed that Sakura merely loved the herb, since she used it in most of her medicines and there was always a dry sprig hanging from the rafters. (At first, it had always annoyed him whenever a petal would fall down and land in his hair.)

Life had been so peaceful then. It was routinely and boring, but he loved it. He still kept up with his training (thank Kami he disposed of her original training dummy; the useless thing) but also had other duties in the village. Helping Ryu with lard packages from the Woodsman; assisting Kimimitsu whenever an issue had to be resolved; and whatever mundane tasks Sakura set him to kept him busy and happy. And every day, after a day of work and spending time with people of the village, he would return to their cottage (sometimes with a new book as a reward from Ryu) and the scent of lavender would nearly overwhelm him. It would relax him immediately and he could literally feel all the knots in his back melt away. In time, he found himself looking forward to coming home just to unwind a little bit and even enjoy one of the meals Sakura had set out.

At this relevation, Itachi tensed up. Had he really just thought of their cottage as 'home' and thinking of Sakura in a domesticated way? Back then, it had seemed so natural to slip into that lifestyle and he thought nothing of it. But looking back, he realized how much a fool he had been. They had acted like husband and wife, for Kami's sake! True, their companionship never stepped further than friends, but to anyone outside looking in, she was the homely wife and he the happy husband. And _Kimimitsu_... that darn woman had dropped so many hints of their blooming relationship and he never thought anything of it. How could he not have realized the path he and Sakura were setting out for themselves? Did Sakura ever notice?

Discreetly, he peeked one eye open miniscully to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. He did not know what he was looking for, perhaps some sort of sign that she had noticed their growing bond some time ago. But alas, she was not even paying attention to him, instead doting over her potion, which he knew for sure to be a sleeping draught.

"I still don't like that stuff, Doc," Sora's quiet whisper broke him out of his thoughts and he then knew his meditating was pointless. Sighing, he gave up on the task and opened his eyes wider to look at both her and Sora. Sakura was now frowning at the brunette.

"It's not dangerous, Sora," she berated him," I told you it just induces a dreamless sleep and relaxes the muscles."

"I've never trusted sedatives," he crossed his arms childishly and scowled at nothing. The face he made reminded Itachi so much of his little brother. Really, why must Sora be so paranoid about everything?

"Well good thing you're not the one taking it."

"But what if you make it too strong and you never wake back up?" Sora screeched, throwing his hands in the air for good measure. Inwardly, Itachi nodded in agreement. That would be plausible cause for concern. But why was a sleeping draught being made in the first place?

"I won't let you go back into a coma!" Sora ranted, and it annoyed Itachi. Really Sora, must you be so melodramatic?

In actuality, though Itachi would never say it out loud, the loud brunette often provided a lot of entertainment for him. Especially since he persisted in being an over-protective dramatic that found suspicion in nearly everything. Paranoid Drama Queen is what Sakura called him

SLAP!

Sakura calmly reached over and gave Sora a good one over the back of his head. Though small, it proved effective in silencing the fool. Thinking it would be peaceful, she turned back to her medicine. But she was wrong.

"Sakura..." Itachi spoke up, wondering why she suddenly tensed up," Please explain why you are making that medicine again?"

Sakura froze and her emerald eyes widened. Itachi wasn't meditating anymore. _Why _wasn't he meditating? She usually did this while he was meditating or away, because even though present, he was always so tuned out that he never really noticed. Which is why she thought it safe to cook while he was safely meditating on the bed, accompanied by Kirei.

She never told him the truth as to why she was always making this particular medicine. He had no idea, no clue, and she wanted it to stay that way. But _he wasn't meditating_! Had he tricked her? Making her believe it was safe while she went about doing her thing?

Damnit, how was she going to talk her way out of this one?

**"Well, we're in deep shit now," Inner so thoughtfully added to her peril, sharing in her panic.**

"That's 'cause Doc is an im-im..." Kirei spoke up, trying to provide the answer for her favorite nuke-nin. Sakura's eyes widened dramatically and she gestured for Kirei to shut her mouth. But of course, the little girl was not deterred. "...an im...in...insomniac!" Kirei threw up her arms, proud to having remembered the word.

Sakura wished the floorboards would just reach up and eat her. If only to end her misery.

She could just _feel_ Itachi's disapproving eyes.

**"Damnit floor! Hurry it up with your human-eating shit!"**

"An insomniac..." Itachi repeated, slowly and agonizingly, just to torture her," and she drugs herself every night to put herself to sleep."

"Not _every_ night!" Sakura tried to save her situation," Only on the nights that I can't sleep."

"According to the definition of clinical insomnia, that is every night."

"Not fair! I get at least two nights of natural sleep every week!"

Somehow, she had the feeling that she had only made it worse. Especially when Itachi sighed and glanced at the little girl beside him.

"Kirei..."

"Got it," she nodded at something that Sakura could not understand and jumped off the bed. Walking promptly over to Sora, she all but dragged her older brother from the room. Leaving her mentor with one peeved Uchiha.

**"Great, Kirei," Inner seethed," For your betrayal, no learning how to make truth-serum for you."**

Itachi's dark eyes fixed onto her green ones, seeming to penetrate her very soul. She knew he was scrutinizing her, trying to read her every thought and emotion. The man did it often, though rarely to her. And it scared her knowing that he was so good at it.

To her surprise, his voice was soft when he spoke," Why did you hide it?"

_'Why did you hide it from __**me**__?' _the unspoken words hung in the air and the tension nearly suffocated her. She averted her gaze, unable to look him in the eye anymore," It's not something I'm proud of. It's just another way to prove that I'm weak." He frowned at her answer. Did she think he would hate her if he thought she was weak? He knew Sakura and he most certainly knew that she was most definately _not_ weak.

"Sakura," he spoke to get her to look at him again," You had no reason to hide it from _me_." In her green eyes, he saw shock and confusion, all revolving around a universal feeling of self-pity. He had always found self-pity something he despised in other people, yet he couldn't bring himself to think lower of this little female before her. Instead, that hurt in her eyes, that almost non-existent self-esteem, it pushed him to wipe it away. To wipe away the tears that never came. She hid it so well and forced everyone, even herself, to believe that she was okay and that she was strong. But she was only as strong as a human could be. No one could be perfect with no scars, but he had to commend her determination to try. She did not let her pain affect her life, nor the lives of others, instead bearing the burden alone and putting on a mask. She kept it all hidden inside, trying to squash it down with thoughts of logic and reason.

At that revelation, Itachi realized she was just like in him in that matter.

"How strong or weak you are does not matter to me," he said quietly, still recovering from the shock of their striking similarity.

"Then why did you do it?" she exploded on him, eyes flaring with anger and pain," Why did you and Naruto try to keep me out of danger? Why did you protect me from the Captain? Why did you stay when I was in a coma?"

"..." Because what could he say?

"Did you do it because you thought I was weak? Did you think I _needed_ protection? Well here's a newsflash for you! I don't need your goddamn help! I've done find by myself for years; I don't need you to just waltz into my life and live it for me!"

He bored his dark into her, trying to desperately relay his thoughts and meanings to her. But for all he was worth, words escaped his mouth and no matter how much he wished to, he could not take them back," Would you rather I left?"

She was silent. Inside, he knew that she could never answer that question, nor did she want to. She couldn't say no because that would make her sound weak and dependent; something she's worked hard to destroy. But at the same time, the thought of him leaving again and never coming back terrified her more than anything else.

Itachi sighed and did what he could to mend their broken bond," I did those things because I wanted to." With eyes full of emotions she could not place, he took a step towards her," I protected you because I didn't want to take chances. Is it so bad that I don't want anything to happen to you? That I want you to be _safe_?"

As he neared, she looked up at his face, unsure of what she saw there. He towered over her, yet she was never intimidated, only secure and safe. His face showed nothing, but she could tell he was trying to show her _something_.

"What did you mean when you came back?" she asked, quietly, finding no will left in her to fight," When you said you didn't want to be one of 'those' people?"

Her heart was racing as he stared at her blankly. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest and she swore he was moving even closer.

"I don't want to leave," he said softly, huskily," I don't want you to remember me as another person who didn't stay."

She looked deep into his eyes and asked," Then what do you want me to remember you for?"

But Sakura forgot that Itachi doesn't like to speak his mind; that he would rather show it. Everything Itachi did, they all led up to simple gestures and strange behaviors that spoke of his heart. Things he felt inside, he felt words could not begin to interpret them, so damning his brother and all misconceptions that she belonged to _him_, itachi went in for the kill.

Moving forward only half a foot, he closed the distance between them and slanted his mouth over hers.

**...**

** Meh, I'm evil aren't I, for that cliffhanger? but OMFG! YOU'RE ALL SCREAMING IN GLEE IN YOUR ROOMS NOW! DON'T DENY IT!**


	14. The First Kiss

**My God, I love you people... I am updating early for those you which I love so dearly! Be happy!**

**...**

Moving forward only half a foot, he closed the distance between them and slanted his mouth over hers.

The feeling reminded him of euphoria, where his heart soared to new heights and nothing could destroy that. He felt her soft lips against his own chapped ones but it couldn't have been more perfect. He kept his eyes shut tight, not wanting to see the shock and rejections on her face, wanting time to revel in this kiss.

He'll never know why he did it; perhaps the attraction had always been there and the emotions had been running high at this moment. Maybe once, just once, he let his control falter, letting him give in to his deepest desires. It had been now or never, so her did it, for he couldn't see a time in the future where he would let himself get this weak to lose control.

When he felt that she wasn't going to reciprocate, he knew that he had just ruined everything. His friendship with her; his chance at happiness with her; _everything_. Kicking himself, he pulled away, instantly missing the feeling of her in his arms and the taste of her lips. He finally opened his eyes and saw her shocked and confused face.

He never thought that anything could equal his pain from so long ago. That anything could even compare to what he felt on the night he killed his parents. But cruel fate loved proving him wrong...

"I'm sorry," he choked out, barely more than a whisper, and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

**...**

_It's almost like you had it planned_

_It's like you smiled and shook my hand and said_

_"Hey. I'm about to screw you over big time" and_

_What was I supposed to do?_

_I was stuck in between you and a hard place_

_We won't talk about the hard place..._

She sat on the roof, kicking herself and calling herself idiotic names. Why had he kissed her? Why didn't she kiss him back? Why did she keep thinking of Sasuke when she should be thinking of Itachi?

Hopeless, was the only word she could call herself right now. She was hopeless. As hopeless as she was, she sighed and leaned backwards to look up at the night sky. Stars filled the ebony blanket, twinkling at her like impish elves.

"Yeah, you guys have it easy, don't you?" she scowled at them and became angered when they didn't fade. Giving up on damning the stars, she reflected back on Itachi's had seen his distraught face when he pulled away. But she had been too shocked to react; perhaps it was too late to fix it now...

Gently, she touched her bottom lip; she could still feel his lips pressing against them. It had been unlike any other kiss she's ever felt and transpired feelings inside her that she hasn't felt in years. His kiss had been soft, gentle...sweet. Everything he was to her and everything she felt towards him. His lips had burned their mark onto her own and her soul. The feeling would never go away nor did she want it to.

But what about Sasuke? She loved him and always had. Could she just throw all of that, years of pining after him, years of running after him, throw that away? To love another?

She chuckled half-heartedly. Love Itachi? The thought had never crossed her mind; she never thought anything could come out of their friendship. But now that it was before her, the idea didn't seem all that bad to her. She remembered the joy she felt when he came back... Could that joy have been comparable as if Sasuke returned to Konoha?

But who's to say he wouldn't be like his brother? Sasuke had broken her heart, stepped on the pieces, and left them in the dirt. He had been her first crush, her first love, her first heartbreak. She should've seen it from the beginning. The way he acted, how he treated her, how he never stayed _just for her_... It was like he had been telling her that he would screw her over someday.

But she had fallen for him, and hard. In the end, he had caused her had broken her down. Years had passed and when she finally had the strength to build herself back up, she vowed to never love again. She had built walls around her, with the help of her friends such as Neji and Ino. She didn't want to be hurt again. Not like that.

_But I don't blame you anymore_

_There's too much pain to store_

_It left me half dead_

_Inside my head_

_And boy, looking back I say I'm not the girl_

_I used to be when I lost my mind_

_It saved my life_

But Itachi was nothing like Sasuke. He cared for her, he wanted what was best for her, he wanted her to be happy. For all the time she's known him, he was always kind and gentle towards her. He had been a broken soul when he came to her, but never wanted to give that same pain to her. He had always wanted to protect her from his pain, never letting her see it, never letting harm come to her. Not by him.

Itachi cared for her deeply, maybe even _loved_ her. But could she love him back? A small voice in her heart spoke 'yes', that he wouldn't hurt her like Sasuke had. Looking back up at the winking stars, she took a deep breath.

"I deserve a second chance, don't I?" she asked them, but they could only twinkle at her like elves. Making up her min, she stood up and dusted herself off.

"I won't let him hold me back anymore," she declared to the night sky and raced off to find Itachi.

**...**

A box of pocky held tightly in her hand, she found him on top of the tallest building. She smiled gently; he had always liked high places. He sat at the edge, dangling his feet over the side and staring out at the city lights. His cloak was folded neatly beside him, so she could see his normal attire.

"You don't have to explain," he spoke before she could even approach him. She should've known that he could sense her presence; he was always good like that. "I know what I did was wrong," he continued," And I suppose things will be different from now on, though that's my fault."

He just sounded so lost and hopeless, that Sakura wanted to kick herself in the gut. It was her fault that he was feeling this pain for no reason. So she stepped forward and sat by his side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he was refusing to look at her and was tense.

Sighing, she opened the box of pocky and stuck one in her mouth. Glancing at him again, she smirked victoriously when she saw him gazing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Want some?" she held the box of pocky out to him.

He looked back out at the city," No thank you."

At his answer, she frowned and moved the box closer to him," Have some. I know you have a terrible sweet tooth." She cheered mentally when his eyes widened and he stared at her. She kept smiling at him, waiting for him to give in. It shouldn't take long now.

"How did you know?" he asked as he reached out and pulled out two pieces.

"There are a lot of things I know," she answered," As for your love of sweets, it wasn't hard to figure it out once I put all the pieces together. I know that you would burn the candy wrappers," he slouched his shoulders," You always seemed happier whenever Kimimitsu or I made dessert," now he ducked his head down," and whenever you cook, it always tastes a little bit sweet. I know that-"

"You can stop now, Sakura," he cut her off, willing to bear no more embarrasment. This much was true, for when she looked at him, there was a red tinge to his ears. He was also refusing to look at her.

She smiled coyly," Don't worry, Itachi-kun, I won't tell anyone your secret."

She soon got the reaction she expected, for his eyes widened and he turned his head so fast, he must've gotten whiplash," What did you call-"

So Sakura took a chance and leaned forward, taking him by surprise with a kiss.

**...**

The city was dark and peaceful, something he usually didn't like, but for now it served its purpose. As he walked the streets, he knew no one would interrupt him while he thought. There was so much to reflect upon, that it left him dizzy. But he knew he had to get things straight, or he would never know what could've been...

_"Naruto..." Itachi spoke up quietly, catching the Jinchuuriki's attention. The blonde was lounging comfortably on his sleeping mat, looking up at the many stars, but now turned to his dark companion._

_"Yeah?" he asked, wondering what the man wanted. From _him_, of all people. After all, it was no secret that Itachi liked to avoid conversation if possible._

_Itachi sat on his own bedroll, staring deeply into the fire with a blank face. "What did you do about Hinata?" he asked quietly._

_Naruto blanched," Ehh, _what_?"_

_The older man sighed," After she confessed her love to you, you said that her near death enable you to defeat Pein." He looked back at the blonde," How did things change afterwards? Did you accept her feelings or distance yourself from her because you were afraid of the thought of love?"_

_Naruto stared at him for the longest time, wondering why Itachi would be asking such a thing. But thinking back, he realized that he had done _nothing_ since that day. He never spoke to Hinata; he never told her how he felt; he never gave her an answer for her desperate proclamation of love. But Hinata never brought it up again, figuring he was busy enough with the upcoming war and searching for his team. Or maybe she let it go because she always knew her love would mean nothing to him. That her confession wouldn't change anything._

_"I did nothing," he admitted," I pushed it to the back of my mind and I guess...I forgot."_

_"So you rejected her confession."_

_"I did not!" he defended himself, but only half-heartedly," I just...I just..."_

_At this point, Itachi turned to look at the younger man in the eye with a warning look," She confessed her love to you, Naruto, and you did _nothing_. You let her words hang in the air, and they're still hanging. Without an answer, she'll never have closure."_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes at him," And I suppose you're the master on all things love? Why did you even bring it up?"_

_Sighing, Itachi laid down to prepare for sleep. "You forget, Naruto," he said quietly," Everything I've ever done was out of love. And I just wanted to know what gives people the courage to confess their feelings."_

_**...**_

_Ino faced him with a somber expression. He looked back at her, confused as to what she was going to say next. Though knowing Ino, she probably had a whole lecture waiting for him. _

_"I have to wonder," she began," _Why_ is Itachi with Sakura-chan?"_

_"Eh?" he tilted his head slightly," I already told you. Because Sakura-chan saved his life and they both hid in the same village. Did you forget already?"_

_A tick mark appeared on Ino's forehead and she unashamedly bashed him over the head," I know that, you dolt! But don't you think it's weird that he _wants_ to stay with her? He's not exactly a social type of guy, so why is he so determined to stay with our Sakura-chan?"_

_"Eh?" Naruto, thought for a moment, pondering her question," I suppose it's because he cares about her." Ino's eyes widened, but he paid no heed as he continued," And the last night, he kept asking me questions about Hinata-chan and talking about love."_

_"About Hinata-chan?"_

_"Yeah," he nodded," I think he was a little mad that I haven't told her how I felt yet."_

_"WHAT?" Ino nearly exploded and grabbed him by the collar, again," You still haven't talked to Hinata-chan? You left her hanging? You little punk! She poured her heart and soul out to you and you're ignoring it?"_

_Any second longer, and Naruto was sure that Ino was going to kill him. _

_Ino promptly dragged his sorry ass towards the front door and literally threw him out into the streets. "You can't just leave stuff like that, baka!" she screamed at him," You have to talk to her about it. So get your sorry ass up and figure out how _you_ feel! When you realize you love her too, go tell her!"_

_**...**_

So with an iron grip around his heart, he stood in front of the Hyuuga compound...

**...**

_We walked along a crowded street_

_You took my hand and danced with me_

_Images..._

_And when you left you kissed my lips_

_You told me you would never ever forget_

_These images..._

_No..._

_Well I'd never want to see you unhappy_

_I thought you'd want the same for me_

The night was dark and peacefull, just how she liked it. There was no one to bother her as she thought to herself in her room. She sat on her bed, staring out her window at the night sky.

Why hasn't he answered her yet? It's been over a month and she's never spoken to him since. Should she not have confessed? Told him how she felt? How she could not go a day without thinking about him and admiring him for who he was. That she wanted nothing more in life than to see him happy, and maybe even... happy with her.

At the moment, she had felt so strong and invincible, sure of herself for the first time in her life. She was going to die that day, but she refused to at least let go of life without him first knowing of her love. But something went wrong. She survived. And she had confessed. The days after were filled with tears, for where did that leave her?

Could he never love her back?

_Goodbye my almost lover_

_Goodbye my hopeless dream_

_I'm trying not to think about you_

_Can't you just let me be?_

_So long my luckless romance_

_My back is turned on you_

_Should've known you'd bring me heartache_

_Almost lovers always do_

There came a soft knock on her door and a quick second after activating her Byakugan, she knew it was her cousin, Neji. Quickly wiping her tears from her face, she softly padded over to the rice paper door.

So much for being along tonight.

"There's someone here to see you," he said the instant she opened the sliding door. He had immediately spotted the tear marks staining her cheeks, saw those red and puffed eyes, saw the pain inside them, but said nothing of it. Instead, he waited for her to nod before leaving. His baby cousin was hurt and he didn't know what to do, so he was afraid to try to find a way. He knew she wanted to be left alone, so he gave her these few moments to herself while she made herself presentable.

However, a few seconds after Neji left and Hinata was leaving her room, her little sister appeared.

"Hanabi, what's wrong?" she asked, though she guessed when she saw the damp washcloth in her sister's hand. Silently, the young girl held it out to her big sister, who used it to wash the stains of her crying away. It washed away the evidence, but could do nothing about the pain. Something happened next, and Hinata could not figure out what when Hanabi pulled out a decorative hair piece. It was the youngest Hyuuga's favorite hair comb, with a beautiful lily flower.

"It looks better on you," Hanabi said quietly, reaching up to put it delicately in her fragile sister's hair. Before Hinata could protest, she was already heading back to her room.

(What Hinata never knew and would never find out, was that her sister, cousin, _and_ her father were currently in the room beside the entrance. Each of their Byakugans were activated and all pointed directly at the front door.)

"Hi Hinata-chan," Naruto spoke as soon as she opened the door. She froze completely, eyes wide and heart pounding. Naruto's blue eyes gazed upwards at the lily in her hair and silently thought it was beautiful on her.

He looked back down and saw her wide eyes. "Well, umm..." he began nervously, trying to find the right words," I... I guess I should start out by saying that I'm sorry..."

She literally felt her heart fall and shatter into a million pieces. He didn't love her.

"Sorry that I was an idiot and waited so long," he quickly amended, seeing her distraught face," I know I did wrong by not telling you this before. I've hurt you so bad, Hina-chan, and I don't think I'll ever be able to fully forgive myself. I don't really expect you to either."

He sighed and shut his eyes, trying to picture the right words coming to him," The truth is. You're an amazing person, Hinata-chan. You're so brave and strong, you're selfless and would put others before yourself, you're truly the nicest person I've ever met."

"That day, when you saved my from Pein, you did more than save me. That day, I saw just how great of a person you were, and I was just a lost cause compared to you in my eyes. I had been so close to giving up, to thinking that all was lost. But when you showed up and faced him all by yourself, so brave and so fearless, it gave me the heart to not give up either. _You_ gave me the strength I needed to defeat Pein and save the village."

"And even now, you're still my hope, Hina-chan. Because as long as you're so brave, and strong, and selfless, then maybe I can be too."

"And...and you've always been...been so pretty and..." he continued, blushing slightly and stumbling over his words," I guess what I'm trying to say it...that I... umm... _oh hell_."

Gathering all the courage he could, Naruto did what he's never done before and leaned forward...

And that is how Hinata got her first kiss.

(Over in the next room, her family was celebrating in silence. Hanabi was literally bouncing in place, so happy for her lovestruck sister. It was damn time Hinata got the love she deserved. Neji smiled and shook his head; leave it to the dobe to not know how to say he loved her back, settling for a desperate kiss. He glanced over at his uncle and did a double take.

"Hiashi-san..." Neji rose an eyebrow and whispered," Are...Are you... _crying_?"

With tears rolling down his face in waterfalls, Hiashi turned quickly away from his nephew and daughter," I... I've just never been happier. My Hinata-chan is finally with the one she loves and she will one day make the clan proud. She's strong and now she has someone strong to stand beside her."

Neji could only smile.)

**This. Chapter. Was. NECESSARY! Dear Lord, the tension between these two couples were so suffocating and something HAD TO BE DONE! And don't deny it, all of you are either A: crying in joy much like Hyuuga Hiashi. B: cheering and dancing around like Hanabi. or C: glaring at me and saying "About damn time, you infernal woman."**

**But you still love me. =) ADMIT IT!**

**The two songs featured in this chapter are two of my favorites. The first was 'Light Years Away' from the soundtrack of One Tree Hill. And the second, my favorite, 'Almost Lover' by A Fine Frenzy.**


	15. The Fickle Thing

"Love is a fickle thing, Sai," Ino sighed, sitting atop a roof with the emotionless man. For the entire evening, they've sat here, sitting in peaceful silence and musing over their thoughts. Ino could never guess what Sai thought about, for he was always so silent, but there were many things on her mind. She thought of the upcoming war, of Sakura and her new beau, of her new-found friend in the enigma that is Sai, but everything always came back to square one.

Love.

As a child, Ino had been obsessed with it, fantasized about it, dreamt of it. Even when she grew up to be a young kunoichi, Ino still held that small hope in her heart that there was still love. That one day she would find her true love and he would take her up in his arms and ride off in the sunset with her. But those were fairytales and even Ino knew that love was something no one could be sure about.

Twelve years old, Ino had sworn that she loved Uchiha Sasuke. He was to be her true love and he would one day marry her. But his betrayal had changed that. Seeing how he hurt Sakura, someone she wanted so much to be friends with again, it forced Ino to see the kind of person he was. He wasn't loving, he wasn't caring, he wasn't the prince she was looking for.

She had searched for years, and then her eyes finally landed on Nara Shikamaru. It had all seemed so funny to her, here was her teammate, someone she knew for years, and she was only _now_ considering him as a love? But nevertheless, his lazy personality and how he always said troublesome somehow drew her in. But it just wasn't meant to be. Shikamaru was madly in love with Subaku no Temari. Having hurt one friend in the past, Ino wisely backed off, telling herself that it just wasn't meant to be.

So here she was at square one, wondering who her love would be. But she knew she wasn't the only to change loves. Hell, Sakura made one hell of a jump. She devoted years of her life to Sasuke, hopelessly loving him even when he didn't care. Even when he left Konoha, she still pined after him, never giving her heart the chance to heal. Maybe something good did come out of Sakura's exile. Without it, she never would've met Uchiha Itachi and fallen in love with someone else. Someone who would perhaps return that love and treat her heart how it deserved to be treated.

Hinata always had and always will love Naruto, but it was destined. As much as Ino hated quoting Neji (who was now found more and more often in the company of his female teammate, Tenten), she had to admit that a relationship between Hinata and Naruto was fated. She had no doubt that come tomorrow, they would learn of a new couple amidst the Rookie Nine...

Sai glanced over at her with his dark eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You've been talking a lot about love lately, Beautiful? Is there something on your mind?" he asked.

Ino smiled slightly at her nickname, it never failed to make her feel good about herself.

"I don't know anymore. I just can't stop thinking about love," she sighed," Everyone's falling in love and finding out who they love and getting their happy-ever-after."

"I would hardly call these times 'happy'," he pointed out. Trust Sai to ruin the moment by pointing out the obvious. Ino unashamedly punched his shoulder.

"That's not what I meant," she corrected him," When someone thinks of happy-ever-after, it's what you feel when you've found your soul mate. When you're in love and you know they love you back, it's supposed to be best feeling in the world. Like nothing, not even a war, can bring you down. And if you were to die tomorrow, you'd die happy."

"...I don't understand."

Sigh. "Of course you don't... Well, look at Hinata and Naruto. It's _fated_ they fall in love. She's loved him forever and it was only a matter of time before he realized he loves her too. And when they both realize this, they'll be so happy that even when this war starts, they'll still rely on each other's love to help them through."

"And then there's Shikamaru. He's madly in love with Temari and I know she loves him too, but neither are willing to admit it yet. So until then, they're just dancing around each other, trying to figure out who will break first. And don't even get me _started_ on Sakura-chan!"

Sai raised an aristocratic eyebrow," Ugly? Doesn't she still love Sasuke?"

He was slightly surprised when Ino shook her head. "I'm not so sure anymore," she said," And now with Itachi in the picture... Naruto says he cares about her, and I think he may be falling in love with our Sakura-chan."

"How would you know?" Sai asked," You've never met the man."

"You're so hopeless," she berated him," It's woman's intuition. There's no doubt that he cares about her, and care almost _always_ turns into love."

Sai tilted his head in confusion, the gears in his brain churning," I don't get it. How can love be so special if care turns into it? A lot of people care for a lot more; does that mean that you can love more than one person at a time? So it's possible for Ugly to love Itachi while still loving Sasuke."

Ino sighed and rubbed her temples," There are a lot of types of love, Sai. There's love like how you love your mother. The kind where she would give her life for you and raise you to be the best you can be. In turn, you love her back and try to make her proud. Then there's the sibling love, like how you loved your brother." She gently patted his shoulder when she noticed him tense up, but said no more of the subject," And of course you love your friends. You feel loyal to them and want to see them happy. And then there's _romantic _love. The kind of love you feel when-"

"Please stop, Ino," Sai spoke quietly and Ino flinched. He had never called her by her name before.

"I think... I think that's something I want to learn on my own," he continued, sighing," Ugly tried teaching me this once, but I never could get it. She told me the only way I'd ever really understand it is if I felt it for myself. So I want to wait until I find the person who can make me feel that way, so then I can learn what love really is."

Ino stared at him for the longest time before a smile settled on her face. Sighing contentedly, she leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't pull away.

"You know Sai, if you weren't so emotionless, you'd be such a romantic."

**...**

The sun rose above the horizon, shining through the window glass. It shone onto Kirei's face, waking her from her slumber. She yawned slightly and rubbed her eyes before looking at the rest of the room. A grin broke out on her face when she saw the scene before her.

After coming back late last night, Sora and Kirei were surprised to find both Itachi and Sakura gone. But they shrugged it off and went to bed, Sora saying the two would eventually work it out between themselves. Now come morning, Kirei was glad to see that they had indeed worked things out.

Sakura's bedroll laid closed and unused, for her sensei was found elsewhere. In fact, Kirei was ecstatic to see her beloved sensei in _Itachi's_ bedroll, snuggling up close to the bed's owner. His bare back faced Kirei, but she could see his arm wrapped over Sakura, pulling her tight against him. Both were awake, as they whispered what Kirei hoped to be sweet nothings to each other while Itachi stroked her hair. It painted a scene of pure love and it couldn't have made Kirei happier.

"We know you're awake, Kirei," Itachi's voice reached her ears and she paled. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as he released his new love and stood up. He left Sakura to wrap herself up in the warm blankets, but she kept a keen eye on her student and the frowning man walking towards her.

Kirei paled, knowing what was coming to her. Itachi had _that_ look, and from experience, Kirei knew that _that_ look was often followed by a stern lecture. Even though Itachi didn't look particularly intimidating in a pair of grey sweatpants, one must remember that he is massive compared to tiny Kirei. She shrank back in her covers, awaiting her lecture at disrupting the couple. But it never came as Itachi knelt down to her level and sighed.

"Kirei, we must ask you to keep a secret for us," he said, looking her in the eye with his dark eyes.

She frowned and glanced at her sensei for guidance. When Sakura offered up none and instead stared silently at the two of the, she then glanced at her older brother. Sora was passed out in his bed, dead asleep, and that's when Kirei knew.

"You don't want Sora-nii to know, don't you?" she asked and before Itachi even nodded, she knew she was right.

Itachi sighed," We... We're not quite ready for others to know just yet. We're not even entirely sure what _this_ is, so for now, it would be best to keep it from Sora. At the very least, we'd like to tell him ourselves when the time is right." Silently, Kirei looked to her mentor for further reassurance; was this what she wanted? Sure enough, the pink-haired medic nin nodded her agreement.

Pouting, Kirei voiced her agreement and promised to not tell.

A couple hours later, a hopelessly clueless Sora woke up, by which time Itachi and Sakura had fixed the bed and were currently working on breakfast. (Sakura and Kirei went down to the lobby to get food and for some girl time while Itachi took the initiative to pick up the room.)

"Why are you all up so early?" Sora asked, yawning. Just watching Itachi pack things away made him want to crawl back into bed and sleep for six more hours.

Itachi smirked," We were hoping to head out on the road before you awoke."

"Asswad," Sora swore at him, ignoring the urge to throw a pillow at him.

"Should I teach you proper curse words as well?" ...Sora wasn't even aware that Itachi even _knew_ curse words...

"Go crawl in a hole and die, Uchiha." To which Itachi just smirked some more; it was just so entertaining and easy to enfuriate the samurai.

"You two should not be left alone in the same room," Sakura scolded the two upon entering the room.

Sora's eyes lit up when he saw her, or more importantly, at what she held in her hands. "Waffles!" he cheered, soon aiming to relieve her of her morning baked goods. She laughed at his childish antics and handed them over. Eyes gleaming, the samurai sat down next to his little sister, inhaling the waffled like Naruto inhales ramen. Kirei wrinkled her nose at her brother's eating manners while she gingerly ate her peanut butter on toast. (Sakura delivered to Itachi a plate of syrup-drowned waffles with a smile.)

"I haven't had these things in _years_," Sora exclaimed between mouthfuls and Sakura giggled," You're my hero, Doc." She just laughed and shook her head, giving him a cup of tea to down his waffles with. ("Chai!" he cheered and swigged a big gulp of it, loving the strong flavor.) Then she waltzed over to Itachi, holding out a cup of steaming tea. " Your favorite," she said, holding the sweet White Jasmine tea.

He gingerly took the cup and brought it to his lips, never taking his eyes off of her. Once the tea touches his lips and he could taste the flavor, he raised an eyebrow," I'm becoming more and more concerned by the fact that you know all of my preferences."

Sakura grinned deviously," Shall I tell you what your favorite book is?"

On the other futon, Sora paused from eating his breakfast to look curiously at them," What's he talking about, Doc?"

"None of your concern," Itachi replied blandly. Miniscully, his hand clenched around the cup in his hands and no one but Sora noticed.

Sora grinned inwardly and pretended to still be simply curious," So what's your favorite tea?"

Itachi resisted the urge to glare at him," Again, none of your concern." Making a point to turn away from the samurai, Itachi raised his cup again. But before he could enjoy the warm drink, it disappeared out of his hands.

"I don't care if I'm never forgiven, I _will_ slaughter you if you do not return my beverage," he declared darkly, glaring daggers openly at Sora. The cheeky samurai just stuck out his tongue at him before glancing at Itachi's drink.

"Eh, it's just white tea," he noted and before Itachi could stop him, he took a swig of it.

Upon testing the tea, he pulled a face," White _Jasmine_ tea? Of all the teas in the world, your favorite is _jasmine_? That's just too sweet, man."

Angrily, Itachi swiped back his cup, only to glare at it in disgust. Great, now it had Sora-germs in it. Resisting the urge to groan in frustration, he stood up and made his way over to the sink. He ignored Sora's taunts and jibes while he poured the rest of the contents down the sink.

"Oh you big baby," Sora taunted," It won't kill you that I drank from the same cup." Itachi really wished to glare at him, but thought it not worth it. Instead, he set the cup down and returned to Sakura. There, he sourly sat down and gracefully attacked his waffles. He'd have to thank Sakura later for letting him have syrup with them, to which he was glad Sora never noticed the excess quantity of syrup. Itachi would rather die (again) before he let Sora discover his love of sweets too.

But he watched in amusement when Sora opened his mouth to continue, only to be scolded by their favorite medic-nin. On the other hand, perhaps watching her whack the annoying brunette on the back of the head was worth losing his tea...

"So what now?" Kirei spoke up, looking up at her mentor. Sakura pulled a face, unsure how to answer. They've been travelling for so long, that they no longer really had a goal. Things had been so simple in their village; their routine was exactly what they wanted and they aimed for nothing more. But then the reality of destruction by ROOT hit them and they were left without a home. They were truly lost now. In fear of being caught, they began running, but not really thinking of where they were running _to_.

She looked at Itachi, who also seemed lost in thought. In the end, it was Sora who spoke first," Why can't we find another home? What if we found a safe village and settled down?"

The room was silent for a moment, each occupant thinking of the possibility. Kirei hoped it would be a larger village than her original home; maybe there would be much more children her age. Itachi and Sakura both kept thinking back on their own cottage. They had been thrown together due to convenience and lack of room. In a new home, would they continue living together, even though it was not necessary? With this question in their eyes, they glanced at each other, and they knew. They would not be separated again. And then Sora had the dream to rebuild their small village. It would be a haven for people with no homes, a second chance for everyone.

The silence was broken when Itachi stood up. "Where are you going?" Sakura asked, to which he merely gestured they stand up as well. Still not telling what he was planning, he picked up his pack and swung on his mottled cloak.

"For Kami's sake, just tell us already," Sora growled, but stood up and donned his own cloak as well.

"I have an idea," Itachi said simply, but that was enough to get everyone else up and ready to go.

A half hour later, they four of them found themselves sitting in a small cafe. Along the way, Itachi had picked up a map and now had it spread out on the table in front of them. Sakura immediately recognized the many countries, but was confused when Itachi pulled out a black marker.

"Kirei, we are going to have a geography lesson today," he said, uncapping the marker and beckoning towards Kirei. She left her seat at Sora's side and walked around the table, where Itachi hoisted her up to sit in his lap so she could see the map.

"Sakura has told you what a nuke-nin is, correct?" he asked and with a glance at both him and her sensei, she nodded. "Good," he approved and even liked better the fact that she knew they were both criminals and thought nothing of it. Happy, he turned back to the map.

"Sakura and I are from Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves," he began, laying the marker on the dot where Konoha was located," It's in the Land of Fire, which is ruled by the Fire Daimyo."

"Unfortunately, as nuke-nin's, it is too dangerous for either of us to return to the Land of Fire. We couldn't possibly wish to put you in the way of danger," he said and laid a big X over the Land of Fire."

Sakura's eyes lit up, finally realizing what he was doing. Kami, Itachi really was a genius. His plan was so simple, but ingenious. "You're trying to find a place safe enough for all of us to live," she declared, smiling.

Itachi let loose a small smirk directed towards her and nodded in agreement. Then he focused his attention back onto Kirei and the map. He had already cancelled out many countries in his mind, but knew he had to go at a slower pace so that Kirei could understand. This knowledge would oneday help her in the future. "Then we move onto the Land of Wind and Sunagakure."

"That's the village hidden in the sand, isn't it?" Kirei asked and smiled when Itachi nodded.

"Suna wasn't always a strong ally of Konoha, but is currently has undying loyalty to the village, due to the friendship between their Kazekage and one loud-mouth Konoha-nin," his eyes strayed over to Sakura, who grinned at Naruto's Jesus-complex. Honestly, there wasn't a single person who _wasn't_ Naruto's friend.

Kirei's eyes lit up," Oh, I know that story! Remember Doc-sensei? You told us the story of how the Prankster Ninja fought the Raccoon Ninja and then they became friends in the end!" Sora choked on his drink, laughing too hard at the silly nicknames Sakura had given to her former friends. So _these_ were the stories Sakura and Itachi told to fill their children's head. To think, of all the times the village children would flock to that cottage, these were the kind of stories they were leaving with...

Sakura frowned at Sora and let Itachi resume his teaching lesson. "The Kazekage would no doubt take Sakura in due to her friendship with him also," he continued," However, he has a personal vendetta against me and my former organization. So Suna is not an option for us."

"What about the Land of Stone and Iwagakure?" Kirei asked, pointing to the country? She looked up to see Sakura grinning," What?"

"Most of the Land of Stone is uninhabitable save for the large cities because it's nothing but rock," she answered," And Iwa was never exactly a friendly village."

"Oh..." her face fell as Itachi slashed the Land of Stone with his marker of doom.  
"Then we have the Land of Mist and Kirigakure," Itachi pointed to the village he had already rejected, but figured it was okay for Kirei to at least know about it. Sora however, cut him off.

"Not there," he growled," I'm not going anywhere near that bloodthirsty village."

Sakura's eyes softened as she looked at her good friend," Kiri isn't like that anymore. The new Mizukage made a lot of changes since she came into power." Sora's eyes widened," _She_?"

Before either could continue, Itachi spoke up," He's right, Sakura, we're not going near Kiri. They still associate me with Kisame, so it would be just as dangerous as Konoha." Sakura looked at him for a few moments, but nodded in agreement.

"What about the Land of Waves?" she asked, pointing at the small country. Itachi glanced at it, then back at her.

"It's small and poor," he noted," Why there?"

"It's not poor anymore," she corrected," Not since they finished the Great Naruto Bridge." Kirei giggled at Itachi's raised eyebrow; she knew this story all too well. "It was our first mission outside of the village," Sakura explained," We had to escort the master bridgebuilder, Tazuna. But he never told us that Gato was hiring hit men against him, including Zabuza..." Itachi lowered his eyes; so that's what happened to the infamous Demon of the Mist...

"We finished the bridge and Tazuna is a good friend to us, so I know he wouldn't turn us in."

Itachi thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. True, the Land of Waves was a relatively safe place in these times, but he didn't like how close it was to Kiri. Yet at the same time, the country wasn't exactly fond of Konoha so it would be more difficult for Hunter-nin to follow them there. And if Sakura trusted this Tazuna fellow so much...

"What if we went north?" Sora spoke up, laying a finger at a far northern country," The Land of Snow is desolate and no Hunter-nin's go there. Know anyone _there_, Doc? Itachi?"

Sakura nodded, smiling a bit," I know Koyuki. We guarded her while she was shooting a movie and then when we got there, we had to fight a revolution and she got her throne as Princess back."

Sora and Kirei's eyes widened," Wow. You know a princess?"

Sakura laughed. "Well, the one she was closest with was Naruto," she blushed a tiny bit," Truth be told, I never directly fought near her, so she might not even recognize me."

"So the Land of Waves would be our best choice," Itachi concluded, drawing a circle around the country.

**...**

Later that night...

"No, absolutely not!" Sora exclaimed, crossing his arms in an X," I forbid it, Doc. You are to _never_ touch that stuff again." Dressed in her sleeping clothes, Sakura held a vial of sleeping medicine in her hand, giving Sora a strange look.

"But," she began but Sora would have none of it.

"I've put up with you and that stuff, Doc, but I'm putting my foot down," he ordered, and though Itachi didn't quite like the tone of voice Sora was using with his lover, he had to agree with him," I don't care what it takes, but I'm never letting you drug yourself to sleep again."

Sakura bristled with anger and was about to unleash it all unto Sora if it weren't for Itachi speaking up in a quiet tone," Surely there is another way for you to sleep peacefully..."

She simmered down, thinking about it and frowned," Well, there is _one_ way... One of my teammates discovered it a while ago... but..."

"So then do _that_!" Sora literally flailed, and it was certainly amusing to watch," Just don't use medicine, Doc."

"Ano," Sakura blushed," The only other way for me to sleep is if... someone sleeps with me. It makes me feel safe enough to sleep if I'm not in a familiar place..."

Expecting to be ridiculed, Sakura was startled when Sora sighed loudly," That's _it_? All this time, that's all you needed? Kami, Doc, you should've just told me from the start." And before she could protest, he pulled her towards him and into his bed. Cuddled up beside her friend and looking at Itachi's peeved face, she mouthed 'sorry' to him. Itachi just sighed and mouthed back 'tomorrow'.

**...**

Winter had reached the Land of Waves long ago, if told by the blanket of white on the ground. Snow fell in large flakes as they trudged through the streets of the small town. As they walked, Kirei stared up at the sky, admiring its white color and the frozen snowflakes that fell all around them. It was peaceful and there wasn't a soul in sight. Everything was quiet and to Kirei, it was like they were in their own little world. She could hear their footsteps as they walked, could hear Sora's breath as he carried her piggyback style, could see the light pink flush on Sakura's face. Yes, winter truly was a beautiful season. Smiling, she stuck out her tongue and caught one of them before Sora whisked her away .

Kirei looked up and saw that they had reached the inn. It was large and cozy, especially with a couple (the innkeepers, she later found out) were standing at the doorway to greet them. They were ushered inside with smiles and hearty welcomes, which surprised but pleased the small group. As they were brougth in and had their rooms set up, Kirei couldn't help but wonder why there was a wreath on all of the doors and a large evergreen tree stood proudly beside a fireplace...

**...**

**Please tell me you all got that hint at the end... If not, go read 'One Thing in Common: Christmas Special'.**


	16. The Dummy Who Was Okay With That

Two figures walked along the bridge, eager to get home. They were both hungry and tired, having been busy at work for the past month. Rebuilding an entire village wasn't easy, after all. Luckily, they had accepted a small break from their work, giving them enough time to return home for a few weeks before going back. Though they had done more than their fair share of the rebuilding, both men felt it their priority to do all that they could to help.

"Do you think Mom has dinner cooking?" Inari asked his grandfather, imagining his mother's cooking with a watering tongue. Tazuna merely grinned at his grandson," I hope so."

Inari sighed, thinking back on his time in Konoha. It had been so cool to see Naruto again and finally get to eat Ichiraku ramen. True to his word, Inari had rebuilt the ramen stand first and made it even better than before. But it wasn't as great as it could have been, since both Sasuke and Sakura were nowhere to be found. Inari had asked Naruto and Kakashi about them, but Naruto had just hung his head in sorrow and Kakashi simply stated that the both of them were on very long missions outside of the village.

Inari knew Kakashi had lied about them being on missions, but could not figure out what they were hiding.

Now almost home, he wondered what could've possibly kept the two of them away from the devastated Konoha. The look on Naruto's face had scared Inari and- he gulped... they couldn't have _died_ in the attack that destroyed Konoha, could they?

"Tsunami! We're home!" Tazuna yelled out and opened the front door, saving Inari from his dark thoughts. Inari forced on a smile and followed his grandfather inside, where the both of them instantly froze in shock. Tsunami, Inari's mother, was busy in the kitchen, talking with some unknown person. But that was not what caught their attention. No, it was the little girl sitting at the dining room table, contentedly eating a bowl of soup. Blue eyes glanced up and met with brown before shrugging and took another bite of her soup.

"Doc-sensei! Someone's here!" the girl then called out, turning towards the kitchen," And I didn't know anyone could make soup like Mama. It's very good, Tsunami-san."

"Thank you dear," Tsunami smiled, poking her head out of the kitchen and looked to see who had arrived. Her eyes lit up when she saw her father and son standing in the doorway," Oh! You made it home alright. Good thing I made a big dinner tonight."

"Hi Mom," Inari went to give his mother a hug, which she readily accepted. Tazuna remained in the doorway, watching the girl at the table with a wary eye. She watched him right back with an inscrutable look in her blue eyes. Her eyes never left his, even when she carefully took bites of her soup.

"Who's the squirt?" he turned away from the child and to his daughter. Tsunami frowned at him and folded her arms.

"Manners, Father," she warned, but motioned towards the little girl anyways," This is Kirei. Her family needs someplace to stay until they settle down in town."

Tazuna sighed," Why couldn't they just stay in a hotel?" BAM! Tsunami whacked him over the head with her spatula. Then within the next second, she was smiling sweetly at Inari," Inari, dear. Why don't you go see who's in the kitchen? I think you'll be surprised."

Confused and wary, he raised an eyebrow at her, but stepped into the kitchen none-the-less.

"Sakura-chan!" though his eyes lit up with joy at seeing the pink-haired woman, no one would ever know just how relieved Inari felt at seeing her. She was _alive_. Inari could've cried in joy, especially when she greeted him back and locked him in a hug. She was _alive_. And Inari knew that wherever Sakura was, Sasuke wasn't very far behind, so that meant that _he_ was alive too.

"Well well well, so you've been hiding out here while we were in Konoha," Tazuna grinned at her," Naruto said you were out of town, but I guess I get to see you before him. He'll throw a fit, I guess."

Sakura just grinned back at him.

"So where's Sasuke?" he asked, also thinking that wherever Sakura was, the dark haired brooding teenager wasn't very far behind, but then he instantly regretted asking when Sakura's face fell.

"Well... it's complicated, really..." she began, but was cut off when the front door opened again. Inari and Tazuna both looked at the newcomer, expecting to see Sasuke. But both were surprised to see a young brunette male, arms full of firewood, squeeze past Tazuna. "Excuse me," he apologized before turning to Tsunami," Where do you want this, Tsunami-san?"

"By the fireplace is fine, Sora-kun," she answered and he went to follow her orders. Before anyone could ask about him, the door opened again and Inari hoped that it would be Sasuke, this time.

"Sasuke!" he cheered, seeing the familiar onyx eyes, aristocratic facial features, and dark hair (though longer than what Inari and Tazuna remembered) on the new person to enter the house. But 'Sasuke' didn't respond to Inari's greeting other than to glance at him and went to join Sora, since his arms were also loaded with firewood.

Tazuna stepped forward," Neh, you grew your hair out, Sasuke? I never thought it would be your style." At that comment, the man looked up at Tazuna, his face a blank mask. Tazuna frowned; he looked different. Was this even Sasuke?

"Father, that isn't Sasuke," Tsunami came to the rescue, putting her hand on her father's shoulder," This is his brother, Itachi."

"Ehh?" both males looked closer at Itachi, who just stood still and let them inspect him and waited for them to come to the conclusion that he wasn't his brother. "You're right, he looked different," Inari mused.

"Huh. Never knew the brat had a brother," Tazuna inputted.

"Hn," Itachi just stared back at him.

"Soo..." Inari decided it was more entertaining to leave the two of them alone and went back to his mother and Sakura," Why aren't you in Konoha with Naruto-kun?" The effect was almost instantaneous. Sakura fell silent and her face fell into a deep frown. Behind Inari, both Sora and Itachi frowned in unison, both wondering how Sakura would answer the question. It still pained her to this day, being banished from the place she grew up loving and protecting. It hurt her deep inside though she never showed it, determined to continue on strong and proud.

Sakura hung her head and everyone waited with baited breath," Do you remember when Gato took control of the Land of Waves?" Inari nodded, not quite understanding what this had to do with anything. That had been so many years ago.

"Well," she swallowed hard, forcing the bitterness back down her throat," I can't return to Konoha the same reason why no one could get into the Land of Waves back then. I'm being hunted, Inari, and if I went back, it would only harm the ones I care about."

Inari frowned, no letting something so simple be set in stone," Then why doesn't Naruto-kun beat up whoever won't let you back into Konoha? He's strong, I know it! He won't let them do that do you Sakura-chan, and he can kick their asses like he did with Gato!"

A weak smile appeared on Sakura's face as she bent down to wrap her arms around Inari's small shoulders. **("He's so small. Still just a boy," Inner mused, whimpering in their mutual pain," He couldn't possibly understand.") **"It's much bigger than that, Inari," she said quietly, not trusting her voice to be any louder," Bigger than me or even Naruto. This isn't something that can be fixed so easily and not in one day." Inari still didn't understand, but realized he probably never would.

Sakura tried smiling bright for him, even though she failed miserably and they all knew it. Her hand reached out and ruffled his short brown hair, nearly breaking into tears when she realized it was just like Naruto's. "It's okay, Inari," she choked out," I'm used to it by now. It doesn't bother me as much anymore."

_'Liar,'_ Sora thought sourly, feeling his own heart break at her (fake_fake_**fake**) smile. Out loud, he said nothing, knowing the same reason why she put on a brave face. He had been doing it himself for years now, so he could understand. To deny the pain numbed it, pushing it to the back of his mind like a dull throbbing papercut. Something that never healed and you could always feel the pain, but it was bearable. Sakura did it because she didn't want anyone else to worry about her and her pain. But none-the-less, Sora knew it was killing her on the inside, pushing her own demons further and further into her mind. But there was nothing Sora could do, only hope that she would come to terms and face her demons before it really hurt her.

"Speaking of Konoha..." Sakura's face took on a thoughtful expression and Sora could've _sworn_ he saw Itachi tense up," Why were you and Tazuna-san in Konoha in the first place? Visiting Naruto-kun and Kaka-sensei?"

Tazuna paled, realizing that the only female of Team 7 never knew what had happened to her village. But how could she not? "Well," he began, sweating profusely at the thought of having to be the one to tell her such a thing, but was saved by the one named Itachi.

"Sakura," the dark man spoke quietly, but it was enough to immediately recieve the room's attention. Tazuna gratefully backed down and let him speak without interference. Itachi merely faced Sakura with his stoic expression," We need to talk." The rosette frowned in annoyance, but the look he was giving her left her no room to argue. Instead, she apologized to the others while putting her cloak on and followed him out the door.

"Itachi, why did you pull me away? I was trying to talk to Tazuna-san," she berated him, focusing a disapproving frown at him. But her lecture was in vain as he ignored her and continued walking along the path, his destination unknown.

"Itachi, talk to me," she demanded and he finally turned to face her. She reeled back a fraction, shocked truly beyond belief at the sight of layers upon layers of emotions in his eyes and on his face. For the first time in a long time, his Sharingan was deactivated, breaking down any barrier he ever had to cover his emotions in his eyes. Sakura felt her breath hitch at the sight of so much emotions, seeing the guilt, the sorrow, the doubt, the fear, and just plain heartbrokenness.

"Itachi..." she stepped forward and laid a hand on his cheek. He didn't so much as blink, only continued staring at her with those pained eyes, those eyes swirling with so many emotions, the most prominent being guilt. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly, fearing any louder a sound and he would bolt like a frightened deer. It pained Sakura to see him like this. Itachi was strong and stoic; Itachi never showed doubt or fear; Itachi never trembled so beneath her fingertips.

Slowly, his onyx eyes closed and a deep breath left his body. He stepped back, letting her hand hang in the air. Then slowly, he sat down on the ground, sliding his back down the bark of a tree.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing he whimpered, refusing to look her in the eye and instead focusing on the ground at her feet," I'm so sorry, Sakura... I know I should've told you this before, but... I didn't want you to worry... I just wanted to enjoy this time with you before you found out and everything changed... I was foolish to be so selfish."

"Find out what?" she asked, her voice cracking just a tiny bit. Itachi remained silent, still afraid to tell her what he's kept secret for so long. "Find out _what_, Itachi?" she repeated with a little bit more force to hide the fear in her own voice. But she _was_ worried; she _was_ scared; she just wanted to know what brought him so much pain. There was something tearing him apart inside, something he felt responsible for. The only other time she had ever seen him act this was was the time she faced him on the Uchiha Massacre.

Finally, he glanced up at her, sighing deeply. _'Now or never.'_ "My brother has joined the Akatsuki."

He heard her gasp, but did not stop there," He has joined forces with our ancestor, Uchiha Madara, and intends to destroy Konoha... just like Pein did a few months ago, which is where Tazuna was, to help rebuild Konoha."

He saw her trembling and felt his heart clench at the sight. She was in such pain and he could not take it away. Everything that they had missed out on was so terrible and horrifying for the rest of the world. To have it all thrown at her all at once, he was certain it was breaking her heart in two. Her first love had finally reached the point of no return. Her village had been destroyed. But there was more.

Silently, he motioned for her to come and opened his arms. She immediately came to him, nearly flying into his arms and burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. His arms locked around her in a tight embrace, trying to soothe away her pain. Her entire form shook in tears and he could not tell if they were more tears of pain or of anger.

Time flew by as he told her the rest of his tale, all of what Naruto had informed him of. He admitted to finding her ex-teammate in a rundown village and making the decision to return to her. He told her of that first night in the bar, drinking away his sorrows and exchanging memories with the Uzumaki. He told her of the destruction of Konoha at the hands of Pein, yet the former Leader of Akatsuki had repented and revived every soul in the village.

When he told her the Fifth Hokage, her shishou, Tsunade, was in a coma, she very nearly broke.

"Sh-Shishou," she cried," She must be in a medic-coma. She probably used too much of her energy defending Konoha." Though her tears had slowed down to a slow trickle, Itachi knew she was still being torn apart on the inside. The pain of hearing all of this, the hurt of thinking of her shishou in such a state, the despair of Konoha's destruction must've reminded her of their old village, but to a whole new level. This kind of pain was unbearable and could very well be too much for her to handle and come out of without scars. He tightened his arms around her, trying to comfort her, but knowing it would never be enough. Absentmindedly, he wondered if only her shishou could be enough to comfort her.

"What if she needs me?" she whispered against his chest, catching him by surprise," If she's in a medic-coma, then she'll never wake up without the trigger. What if I can help her?"

"Sakura," he frowned, not liking where her thinking was going. There was no possible way he would let her step one foot near Konoha now, even if it was to save her shishou. "You know it's too dangerous to go back there," he told her, hoping to talk some sense into her," Even if you were able to get to her, how would you escape? You might be able to get in, but you'd never come back out."

"_You_ did it before," she countered," You walked into Konoha without being detected."

Itachi resisted the urge to sigh," The only reason I got in undetected was because I knew the passcode to get past the barrier and did not alert the guards. But even then, I did not escape peacefully. If you remember, I had to put your sensei in the hospital before I could get out of Konoha."

"But what if you helped me?" she demanded. In reply, he just stared back at her with eyes hard and determined. She knew that look. Uchiha Itachi was stubborn and hard-headed; he would do everything in his power to keep her from walking into that kind of danger. So helping her find a way into Konoha was out of the question.

"Fine," she sighed deeply, dropping the subject, for now. Instead, she settled herself further into his lap, searching for his warmth and comfort. He offered it up readily, pulling her closer to him and giving her the sense of safety within the circle of his arms. In the back of her mind, Sakura thought if ironic that Itachi could be so comforting and gentle. Never before in her life, could she ever imagine him being such a sweet and gentle person, But now she knew the real Itachi, and was happy that he did nothing to hide his true self from her. He trusted her, and in return, she trusted him. Sakura was happy to admit that she was slowly falling in love with him, as long as he loved her in return.

Itachi relaxed slightly and rested his chin on the top of her head. " I apologize for waiting to tell you," he spoke quietly," I knew it would upset you and I wished to avoid that for at least a little bit."

She gave a half hearted chuckle," Did you think I would blame you? That I would be mad at you?" Itachi was silent.

"Itachi, you dummy," she giggled, but only half-heartedly. He smirked miniscully, remembering the first time she ever called him that. Back then, it had been humorous and childlike, she being upset that he had destroyed her training dummy. (The infernal thing _had_ to go!) Now, though she hasn't called him that in months, it still warmed his heart for reasons he couldn't understand before. It was a word that showed her comfort around him; it showed that she had no fear of him. After all, who would call someone they fear a 'dummy'? It meant that she trusted him, and he liked the thought of that.

"Aa," he smirked, tilting his nose into her hair and inhaling her sweet scent. She was his, and he was her dummy, and he was okay with that.

**...**

**Aah, gotta love the fluff. **


	17. The Summit

"-tachi… Itachi… Goddamnit man, wake up!" a voice disturbed his peaceful sleep, along with a hand hitting the side of his head, and he knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. Uchiha Itachi _never_ slept peacefully. He had always been a light sleeper and the slightest sound or presence woke him up. As his mind went into overdrive, wondering how this could've happened, he wished to flash his eyes open and sit up, but he just couldn't. Instead, his eyes groggily opened as if they had been glued shut and the first thing he saw was Sora's distraught but annoyed face.

It took all his will to sit up, but even then, it was slow. "What?" he asked groggily, still trying to focus on his surroundings. Sora pressed something into his hands," Here, drink this. Tsunami-san says it will help alleviate the drug."

Instantly, Itachi's hackles rose, but he took a swig of the strong tea anyways. Once he had swallowed, he felt much more alert and faced Sora," What drug? And where are Sakura and Kirei?"

Sora seemed almost hesitant to tell him," Doc's sleeping potion." With a growl, he seated himself next to Itachi, clenching his fist to contain his frustration," I should've _known_ there was something wrong with that tea last night. Especially when Kirei didn't drink it. Kirei _knew_, she's so smart when it comes to potions, just like Doc, that she must've sensed it right away."

Sora was cut off of his dialogue when Itachi's hand shot out and grasped a large section of Sora's collar. In one terrifyingly slow moment, Itachi dragged Sora's face closer until Itachi could focus his eyes completely on him and then gave him the harshest glare he'd ever given him. "Sora," Itachi growled low in his chest, anger soon overruling the worry that was bubbling up," You'd better start making sense."

Sora gulped, but his face was grave," Sakura and Kirei are gone. Sakura slipped her sleeping potion into our tea last night and then she left. And I think Kirei's going after her."

…

The real world was not a place for a long child. The winters here were harsh, but she did not feel it as so, as the winters in her own village were much harsher. But even with her penchant for cold, here she had no guide, no helpful villagers, no adults to take care of her, no one. All she had was the wind biting at her face, and the snow swirling all around her, but she sucked it up and kept running. She was a Second Chance child; she lived her whole life in the wilderness and thrived in it. This was no different.

She had a goal in her mind and she _would_ see it through. Ever since she overhead Tsunami and Tazuna talking last night, she knew this "Konoha" was Doc and Itachi's homeland. Doc's home on her own sensei were in trouble and Kirei knew Sakura would stop at nothing to save them. Yet Kirei also knew Sora and Itachi would stop Sakura from doing so, if only to keep their family safe. So it came as no surprise when Kirei detected the sleeping potion in their tea last night.

She had to help her sensei. Sakura was on this alone, she was always alone, and Kirei planned to put a stop to it. She would help her sensei save her home, even if it killed her. Sakura was ready to lose everything to help her shishou, and Kirei would do the same. She just had to catch up to her first. Then they could save Konoha and Tsunade together.

Frowning, Kirei tried to picture Itachi's map in her head. Konoha was west of the Land of Waves, wasn't it? Or was it north? Unsure, Kirei settled for a compromise and headed straight northwest. She would hit the Land of Fire eventually, perhaps.

…

The Kazekage was silent as he glanced around the room, inspecting each and every person. The room was somber as the Kage's all face each other. Perhaps the only one who kept a mildly relaxed expression was the Mizukage, who was happily chatting with her bodyguards. Gaara frowned slightly; were Tsunade here, the two women would've started a drinking contest already. But instead, in her place sat a stern face with beady black eyes and ill intentions. Kankuro had already alerted him that the man was Doro, Danzou's former right-hand man and former leader of ROOT.

Then there was the Raikage, still seething and fuming, thinking of the death of Uchiha Sasuke at his hands. It was well known that Sasuke had attacked the Raikage's brother, but Temari had informed him that the man was even more ired because he had been intercepted by a certain someone on his way to the summit.

Naruto had asked, _begged _even, the Raikage to forgive Sasuke. To not pit the entire world against his best friend. Judging by the big man's fury, he had rejected the plea. But what had been said about Sakura? Gaara knew the rumors circulating around the room. That she had taken her place at Sasuke's side and was now a part of Akatsuki, planning the destruction of the world. However harsh the rumors were, Gaara could not find it in himself to believe them.

"Kazekage-sama," a voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned his head silently to face the Mizukage. There was a coy smile on her face, but he knew she was about to throw a metaphorical fast ball at him. "You knew the two in question personally, did you not?" she asked, leaning towards him. He frowned at her, but nodded anyways.

A devious smile lit up on her face and he felt the urge to flinch. This woman had something dangerous in mind. "So you have some history with the two of them," she mused aloud, more to herself than him," Do you think your opinions will cloud your judgment? Try to _save_ them like their teammate did?" Gaara fixed her with such a cold glare that she had to sit back in her seat, wary of his anger.

"Let me say this to you, to _all _of you," he directed his glare also to the other Kage's who were now listening in on the conversation," Those of you here who have never even _met _Sasuke and Sakura have no right to form opinions and judgements on them." The Raikage opened his mouth to object, but stopped when he saw the Kazekage's sand rise up angrily behind him.

"Uchiha Sasuke is the same as I once was as a child. We were both beyond saving and descending into the darkness. The only difference between him and myself is that _I_ eventually opened my eyes. He has yet to," Gaara continued, fuming in his seat," So do not accuse him of being an evil entity; he is still a _child_, one that is easily manipulated by those with dark intentions. First his brother, then Orochimaru, and now the Akatsuki. Sasuke's choices are not his own."

"Are you asking us to _forgive_ him?" the Raikage slammed his hands down on the counter," The Kyuubi brat already tried this with me; it won't work! I _will_ kill that son of a bitch if it's the last thing I do!" At this point, everyone looked to Gaara, waiting to see what he would do next.

Temari was the first to move, stepping forward to place a hand on her youngest brother's shoulder," Gaara…" But he did not need her support, as he gazed back at the Raikage with cool blue eyes," Do what you must. I'm not asking you to forgive Sasuke nor let him go. I'm only asking you to not follow in his footsteps. Do not hate him. Hate is what destroyed him; do not let it destroy you too."

The room fell silent once more. Now that they thought about it, it seemed that Uchiha Sasuke's single goal was to create hate in the rest of the world. He killed whoever he wanted and took everything else; he waged war on Konoha and will let no one stand in his way. How could they _not_ hate him for it? How could they pretend him a good person at heart, all the while punishing and killing him for his deeds?

"And what of the girl?" the Tsuchikage at the other end of the table spoke up," Haruno Sakura. As the Godaime Hokage's apprentice, she is an extreme danger to the rest of the us, not to mention she has already wronged Konoha. Her loyalty will tie her to the Akatsuki and to the Uchiha, where she can reveal all of our weaknesses."

"Hmm, you're right," another Kage chimed in," As a former diplomat for Konoha, she's had extensive freedom to _all_ of our countries and could hand over vital information to the Akatsuki," he turned to the Rokudaime Hokage," And she's already taken down the former leader of your organization? It seems she already has a vendetta against you and Konoha."

"You all are such _fools_," a dark voice echoed and they all looked up to see a very angry Kankuro.

Temari rolled her eyes, but said nothing, knowing only her brothers could make these fools _see_. "All of you are thinking of Sakura as no better than Sasuke," Kankuro growled," That she's some dangerous rogue nin that will stop at nothing to destroy all of you. But she's a _medic-nin_. Has been since a child; she swore to protect lives, especially those that she loves, and will not take life unless absolutely necessary."

"Are you telling me that the murder of my shishou was _necessary_?" the Rokudaime seethed through his teeth.

Kankuro fixed him with a blank look," You tell me. Would Danzou give Sakura-chan a reason to kill him?"

"Sakura-chan?" only the Mizukage caught onto his mistake and interrupted before the Rokudaime could explode on the poor boy," Are you more involved with the nuke-nin that you're letting on, Kankuro-_kun_?"

Kankuro seemed to shake in his boots, so full of anger, but he then surprised them all by laughing bitterly," You're so misinformed that it's almost _pathetic_. No wonder you throw around accusations like they're nothing. You know _nothing_ of the person you are condemning and of the things she's done."

"_She saved my life_. When the Akatsuki came for my brother, I gave chase and was injured fatally. They gave me three days, _three days_, to live, but then she showed up on the third day. She did was no other could, and alone healed me a created an antidote at the same time."

"But she did so much more than that," he continued, enjoying the looks on their faces," She partnered herself with one of our Council Elders and went after the Akatsuki. She risked her life to save my brother and come back out alive, but did more by killing the Akatsuki member who nearly sent me to my grave."

_'Is…is __**that**__ what happened to Akasuna no Sasori?'_ the Mizukage thought worriedly, wondering how such vital information could've eluded her spies. Meanwhile, many other Kage's were wondering the same thing. It was reported that a Konoha quadrant had eliminated Akasuna no Sasori; a Konoha kunoichi and Suna Elder were never mentioned.

"She is _not_ a cold-hearted killer!" Kankuro exploded," She's not like Uchiha Sasuke and never will be because the life of a friend means more to her than her own life!"

Even after the room fell silent, his words continued echoing off the walls, reverberating through everyone's ears. The conviction Kankuro had for Sakura was astonishing, but each and every one of them could remember a time where they felt similar conviction for someone important in their lives. To have someone personally save your life is not something you can just let slide. It leaves a mark on someone's soul.

When it became clear no one else would speak up, the Rokudaime Hokage took if upon himself to prove Kankuro wrong," Not a killer, you say? Do you remember the initial charges against Haruno that got her exiled from Konoha? _She assassinated my shishou_. She killed five of my comrades and ran away from justice. She is a criminal, just like the rest of those mongrols and should be treated as such."

But as the Suna siblings looked around the room, even though the Rokudaime vowed he would kill Sakura if it was the last thing he did, the other Kage's had the expressions like it would be very_ very_ difficult to administer punishment to Sakura should the time ever come.

…

** I have decided that I will now respond to each review at the end of each chapter rather than just message all of you. It's so much easier, and now everyone gets to see the answers too. =)**

**ItaSaku1: You and everybody else. But I promise I will update more often.**

**Naruto-Neko: When you can't have the fluff, it's always fun to fantasize about it. It just makes your heart melt and make you all fuzzy inside. =)**

**Kaydreams: Yes, the news is broken and everything is now spinning out of control. But just you wait. Kirei's about to open a can of worms. **_**Hehehehehe. **_

**Xana Vlec: OMG! I **_**love**_** dango! Not as much as dingos, even though they're cute, but dango is just so amazing. **

**Itaweasel-hime: Nothing. Everything must be loved. **

**Winged-angel21: Yes, yes he is. **


	18. 911

**This post is not an author's note, nor a random chapter to throw in to keep everyone satisfied til the next chapter (which I promise will be soon), but this is just a quiet remembrance for what happened 10 years ago today. I'm not going to write a fic to honor the day or the families because I simply don't dare try. There are too many stories of familes torn apart; of people who fought against all odds and saved countless lives and sacrified their own; of children who didn't grow up knowing a parent; of people who have lived ten years without their other halves; of people who stand watching the pain and suffering of others, wishing they could do more.**

**I don't know what this day means to everybody else, but to many, I know it may mean everything. It may mean the anniversary of nearly 3,000 dead; the beloved people who died in the World Trade Centers; the 40 brave passengers who overtook the hijackers and crashed the plane into a field before it could reach its destination; and the lost lives at the Pentagon. Ten years later and families are still suffering. There are families with no mothers, no fathers, no brothers, no sisters, no chance to fill that hole that was left behind. Ten years later and we're still building up from ground zero. **

**Not too long ago, America reached a sense of closure at the death of Osama bin Laden. It wasn't about achieving a sense of vengeance, but about reaching closure at the thought that the one responsible was brought to justice. It was about knowing that the man who caused 9-11 can no longer cause such things, that there may be a turning point in the current war, and perhaps the 3,000 lost can rest in peace.**

**Hell, I even read an article of Obama visiting the three memorials for that tragic day and one such person thanked him for 'getting bin Laden.' I remember the day the news broke out on his death, and in front of the White House, a crowd of people stood all night, singing their relief at closure, grief for their lost ones, love for the ones they have left, and their pride in our country. **

**Ten years ago, America came together in a time of sorrow and grief and despair. Ten years later, we simply come together in a time of remembrance and honor.**


	19. The Awakening

As she neared her home village, butterflies began to fill Sakura's stomach. There was something that just felt so _right_ as she journeyed back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. But at the same time, nervousness fluttered into her stomach and she knew she had to be careful. It could mean her life. Who knew what kind of precautionary measures were taken since Doro came to power. Were Kotetsu and Izumo still the gate guards? Would they still be friendly towards her? They must be…right?

But she had to take the chance. Somewhere, within those walls, was her beloved shishou, deep in a coma. And having been in a coma herself, Sakura knew she could help release her Hokage from her self inflicted prison.

At long last, she looked up the towering walls of Konoha through the thick foliage of the trees. It could've been any wall. It could've been any fortress. But nothing else save for her Konoha could invoke such a feeling of pride and joy as the sight of the familiar red symbol that graced the front gates of Konoha. No matter what anyone said anymore, that was _her_ village. She may not be coming home, not yet at least, but she was returning to the place she called her homeland.

She sat there in that tree for a good ten minutes. Just staring at the gates of Konoha, not seeing anyone go in or out, but that meant little to her. It had been so so long since she just got to see the walls of her village and she wanted to spend a few minutes just reminiscing. But eventually, dusk began to fall and she knew she would have to find someplace to hide out until she figured a way inside. So with one last glance at that red symbolized gate, she vanished into the trees.

…

"So you're the Sixth Hokage?" Sasuke spoke in a monotone voice, staring at Doro with an almost disappointed expression. Despite being the Rokudaime and the former ex-captain of ROOT, he wasn't what Sasuke was expecting. At least, Sasuke was hoping that he would've been able to exact a little bit more revenge on the bastard Danzou who called for the massacre of his clan, but he guess he'll have to settle for his right hand man. Danzou's death belonged to Sakura now.

As Sasuke appraised the new Sixth Hokage, the Rokudaime was doing the same to him. Ruby red Sharingan eyes stared out impassively at him, although Doro was well aware that a glare was just beneath the surface. Uncalled for, his memory flashed back to just a couple months prior, when he had been fighting an unlikely shinobi in a backwoods village. It has surprised him at the very most to find not only a long lost samurai, but also an elite shinobi in such a secluded place, along with his target, Haruno Sakura. He had taunted the pink haired kunoichi with spiteful and hateful words, doing anything to get her to unravel and make it that much easier to take her down. But then something he hadn't expected pushed himself into the picture. The black clad shinobi had urged her to continue towards the village and stayed behind to face him alone.

At first, Doro had been foolishly confident, thinking that one lone unknown shinobi was no match for him. But he was proven wrong so efficiently, so quickly. The mysterious shinobi had kept up with him step for step, never once faltering in his attacks, and almost knowing where he was going before he even lifted a foot. No one should've been able to predict his movements, let alone be one step ahead of them, no one except-

And that had been when he saw it. Sometime in between the ninjutsus being thrown at him and the genjutsus he had been dodging, a flash of red had caught his eye. He had frozen for a second, unable to tear his eyes away from his enemy's. A fully developed Sharingan glared right back at him. He hated to think of who might be behind that mask, but logic couldn't argue with him. Sasuke wasn't the type to hide his face, nor was he nearly that tall.

Realizing who was up against, he made his escape using a large paper bomb.

Now looking upon the younger brother, Doro held back his slight smirk. The young brat had no idea his brother was even still alive, just like the rest of the world, and he would probably die never knowing. But then he thought back on why he didn't reveal this information sooner. Why didn't he just come right out and say it? That Uchiha Itachi was alive and kicking, fiercely protecting the Haruno Sakura that killed the almighty Danzou? It would've sent Sasuke onto another hunt, giving him more time to assemble an army against the vengeful Uchiha. In all ways, it was supremely beneficial to himself, so why didn't he?

Perhaps he was getting soft in his old age. Everytime he even thought of opening his mouth and spilling the truth, something stopped him. Perhaps in the back of his mind, he kept thinking of how he had screwed the two of them over, taking away their lives and freedom, and forcing two unlikely people to gravitate together out of common grounds. Perhaps he kept thinking about the Uchiha Massacre and kept thinking of the 'what if's'. What if it never happened? Would a bond that strong been created if the Uchiha clan still existed, even if the clan held all the power in their greedy hands. Itachi would've never stood for it and would've no doubt broken himself apart from his family and become a missing-nin regardless. Would've Sakura even been given the chance to become a kunoichi like she was today?

His past decisions and actions had dictated the future and while saving so many lives, he still ruined so many at the same time. Perhaps this was his salvation. Their secret was the one of life, the secret that they were still out there, watching and waiting, and he would keep their secret. Even if he were to die here today, he would take their secret to the grave. Uchiha Sasuke would never know his brother was still alive.

"I had been so hoping to be the one to kill Danzou," Sasuke began, tearing Doro's thoughts back towards him," The man who ordered my family murdered; I'm sure you know about it. It would've pleased me to kill him and make him suffer just like my clan, my family, my _brother_, did. But I guess you'll have to do."

The man with beady black eyes sighed. And so the time of end begins.

"Hold your horses, Sasuke-kun," Madara spoke up for the first time, sitting back and watching all of this unfold in front of him. "There's something you should know about the Rokudaime Hokage first…" Madara's Sharingan eye landed on Doro and he felt a shiver run along his spine.

_'He __**knows**__,'_ he couldn't help but realize. His expert jutsu had failed against this man's eyes. His secret was out. What other secrets could he see?

"So it seems you'll be able to have your revenge. It appears that your dear Sakura failed to kill Danzou, for he is standing in front of you right this moment."

…

Kirei rose her head and quickly looked towards the east. A distance away, someone's chakra spiked dangerously high, drawing attention like a beacon. From her training, Kirei knew there were only three instances that someone spiked their chakra that high. One, since chakra was linked to one's emotions, should one feel an intense emotion, such as anger, their chakra would spike in direct proportion. Two, if one did it purposefully as an intimidation tactic, to let their opponent know that their quantity and power of chakra was far superior. And three…

Chakra _could_ be used as a beacon. If one recognized the chakra, they could follow the chakra path like a trail to ones lost.

A smile lit upon her face when she herself recognized the signature. Though she's only identified few signatures in her life since her discovery of her sensory powers, Kirei could easily tell this one apart. Not only was it one that could hardly blend in with others, being so powerful, but she loved this particular person like her brother.

Knowing he was looking for her by now, and that she knew this trick, as he had been the one to teach it to her, Kirei set out east. To make it easier for him to find her, she spiked her own chakra in return, just like he taught her to.

…

Karin tore her eyes away from Sasuke for a second to look west. She was certain she had felt a small spike in chakra, but before she could be sure, it was gone. But for that split second, she could've sworn she recognized that chakra, but no names came to mind.

Pushing it to the back of her thoughts, she looked back at Sasuke and who was now apparently Danzou. But how could he still be alive? Karin thought that Sakura had killed the ROOT founder, beginning her life as a nuke-nin. Had the scheming man faked his own death?

Doro/Danzou sighed and let his expert henge slide away. Not even Sasuke's Sharingan, nor that annoying Byakugan-wielding shinobi from the Summit had seen through it. Hell, even Itachi hadn't seen it when fighting those few months ago. But this masked man that called himself Madara had seen through it in less that three minutes…

Danzou hated to even begin trying to comprehend the power this one man held.

"I suppose you didn't want to die at the hands of such a little kunoichi," Madara mused and Danzou's eyes flickered over to him. Based on that fateful fight from Sakura nearly a year ago, Danzou idly wondered how the kunoichi would react being called little from this stranger.

"I knew the Council didn't like that I was rising in power," he confirmed," And I knew they would eventually send Haruno after me. She had the perfect agenda. Revenge for her lost teammate. Revenge for her newest teammate. Protecting her last teammate from being sacrificed. No one would've questioned it. And to add to the equation, they were looking to eliminate her as well. It was killing two birds with one stone. Send your enemy to do your dirty work and take out your other enemy."

"Sakura was no enemy to Konoha until they condemned her," Sasuke spat out," Just like my brother."

Yes, just like Itachi. Danzou had seen history repeat itself when he saw Sakura storm through his fortress, calling out for his blood. She had been covered in blood when she finally reached him and he had had an eery fleeting image of a young Itachi. Haruno had stepped right into Itachi's footsteps.

"I'm sure you already know Itachi's part in protecting Konoha from civil war," he explained," Could you even imagine if your clan had ruled over Konoha like they wanted to? Itachi was doing his part to protect Konoha from war and strife, but Haruno… Haruno Sakura was a direct threat to the council, much like your clan. If Haruno were to start a war against Konoha, who do you think would win? Let me give you a hint, it wouldn't be Konoha."

"She is too full of emotion and lets those emotions rule her. She so frequently went against mine and the council's judgments, just like her infuriating shishou, Tsunade. But Haruno had one thing we didn't. She had the loyalty of the shinobi of Konoha. Who else but ROOT would turn against her and choose the council over her? She had to be taken care of immediately, before she had enough power to turn the entire ninja population against its own village."

Karin had to agree; even Juugo, Suigetsu, and herself chose Sakura above all else. Even going so far as disobeying Sasuke. Just imagine the loyalty she had from people she grew up with and fought alongside with. Those kinds of bonds couldn't be easily broken.

But _could_ the little pink haired woman really start and lead a coup d'état?

Something in Karin told her that, yes, Sakura _could_ spur a coup d'état and even a civil war. Even as Sasuke charged at Danzou, full of anger and hate, Karin knew it was because of his loyalty to Sakura that he did so. He had sworn revenge on Konoha for his brother and Konoha. Yes, if one woman could change everything, it was Haruno Sakura…

…

"-amaru, you're amazing! I can't believe you smelled her all the way from inside the village!"

"Shut up you idiot. What if someone hears you?"

Familiar voices drew her awake, though no immediate sense of danger came to her attention. In fact, she felt an insane urge to smile as she recognized that second voice. Who else could remain so calm in a situation like this?

"It's good to see you again, Sakura," Neji greeted once she opened her eyes," I'm surprised you still sleep like a rock. I assumed it was only when you wore yourself out that you slept like the dead." Beside him, Kiba made a face at the pun Neji had unwittingly (maybe unwittingly, he _was_ smiling in a teasing way) spoken. Sakura let out an indignant 'Hey!' and punched him in the arm, but soon threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. His pale eyes closed slowly in relief as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

_'She's okay,'_ he reassured himself, _'She's okay.'_

"Neji-kun!" Sakura cheered again, ecstatic to see him again after such a long time; he had been on a long term mission when she defected from Konoha," I can't believe _you_ were the one to find me hiding out here." She knew only Neji's Byakugan could've found her well placed genjutsu, having been the one to help her develop it.

"Hey! He shouldn't get all the credit," Kiba stomped his foot angrily," Akamaru and I knew you were nearby so I went and got Neji to help search for you." Sakura giggled and let go of Neji to go hug Kiba and the oversized Akamaru.

"I was impressed by how well the genjutsu held up overnight," Neji appraised her, easily recognizing the genjutsu, yet this was the first time it had been upheld for such a long time, while she was _asleep_ even. Impressive.

Sakura blushed under his praise.

"Oh Kami, Ino's gonna _flip_ when she realizes you're here," Kiba interjected, grinning like a fool. Yet he was glad he didn't fetch the loud girl before getting Neji. The shrieking would've probably lasted ten minutes straight.

But rather than earn a chuckle out of Sakura, her eyes grew sad," Ino can't know I was here, Kiba-kun."

Kiba was close to arguing when Neji placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head," Sakura is right. The fewer people who know she is here, the less chance the ROOT will hear about it."

The dog-nin pouted at Neji, but nodded in acquiesce nonetheless. He then looked at Sakura with a questioning glance," Then why did you come back in the first place?"

Neji gave a wry smile, he could answer that easily," You came to see Tsunade-sama, didn't you?" Sakura nodded back at him, smiling slightly. He knew her so well. Exchanging glances with the Inuzuka, a silent agreement was reached and she knew they would both do anything to help her. "Well, if you are to enter Konoha now," Neji smirked," You'll need to know the passcode."

…

Kakashi raised his head and narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Naruto gave him a curious look, but the white-haired man said nothing. Instead, there was a look of extreme concentration on his face until he sighed deeply," It seems we are being followed." He pointed nonchalantly behind him before turning around.

"Wow, you're really good, Ninja-san," a small voice spoke up from the bushes and a child stepped out, shocking them both," When I found you, I tried being really really quiet." Kakashi sighed once more while Naruto's eyes bulged out of his head.

"Y-You…" he spluttered, pointing wildly at her and waving his arms about," I know who you are! Y-Y-You're… Where the hell is your brother?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi looked back and forth at the frantic Naruto and calm child," You know who this is, Naruto?"

Kirei quirked her head, the name 'Naruto' seemed familiar and then it clicked. This must be her sensei's brother. Naruto was still spluttering so she decided to answer his question. "I am the student of Sakura-san," she answered," But I just call her Doc-sensei."

"Sora-nii-san and Itachi-nii-san are that way," she continued, pointing east in the direction she was originally heading in. As she pointed the way, she missed the way how Kakashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Kirei!" Naruto blurted out," Why aren't you with them? And where is Sakura-chan?"

Kirei stayed silent, knowing that Doc didn't want anyone to know where she was going.

"Neh, so you're the one of the people traveling with our Sakura-chan?" the older man asked, smiling nicely at her and crouching down to her level. Kirei smiled brightly at him and nodded.

Kakashi inwardly sighed; things just got even more complicated. This girl was heading east, the direction of the summit. But why was she going that way? What business did Itachi and this Sora have there? Was Sakura even with them at the moment? Not to mention that this little girl was left alone in the world, traveling through these dangerous woods by herself. He knew Sakura would never leave a small child alone and Kirei must be here purely on accident. Had something happened to separate them?

All Kakashi knew was that something was terribly wrong but he just didn't know exactly what.

"Well, then we'll help you find them," he decided out loud," I can't just leave a little thing like you out here by yourself." Kirei pouted at him," I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself." Kakashi only chuckled.

…

Sakura knew that she had thee greatest of friends. They loved her and she loved them back. And here they were risking their lives to help put her mind at ease. There was no way for her to ever thank them enough, to ever pay them back, so she suffered for just hugs and heartfelt thank-you's. It was all she could offer. Kiba and Neji felt that they were more than enough. Kiba told her numerous times that just knowing that she was alive and well was enough to make them happy.

"If anyone can wake her up, it's you, Sakura-chan," Kiba smiled toothily, leading her towards Tsunade's tent. Neji nodded in agreement, lifting the flap of the doorway to let her in. Sakura entered first, then Kiba, then Neji himself, after checking the surrounding area for intruders.

Sakura couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth when her eyes landed on her shishou's condition. Had it not been the fact that Tsunade's age-seal was obliterated, she would've merely looked like she was sleeping. But she was no longer young looking; there was no young woman with glowing skin and vibrant eyes and ruby red lips. Now, Sakura's eyes gazed on an old woman with fading color and a wrinkled face. But no matter how she looked, this was her sensei, her Hokage, and Sakura felt the tears rise up with a vengeance.

"Sakura!" Shizune sprang up from Tsunade's side and latched herself onto the pink-haired nuke-nin," You're here! You're really here." It was the final push Sakura needed and she burst into tears.

It was just too much. The stress from so many months building up and building up, until the bombshell of Konoha's destruction finally sent her over the edge. For too long, she had been separated from the people she grew up with, the people who meant the entire world to her. Shizune was a sister to her, the one to stand at her side when she was learning so much. There were so many long nights where they would sit up all night, pouring through medical texts and inventing wild theories that only one-tenth would be true. They were sisters and for too long, they had been separated. Now they were back together and nothing could stop the elation in rising in both their hearts as they cried together.

"Man, girls are so emotional. Crying all the time," Kiba complained, but he choked on his own voice and had to fight to keep the tears from coming. Beside him, Neji smirked, knowing exactly how Kiba felt. It was a touching moment for everyone and only years of indifference and self control held him back from expressing his elation.

It was a long time til the tears subsided, but emotions still ran high. Shizune and Sakura finally parted and sat on either side of Tsunade.

"We've tried everything to wake her up," Shizune explained," Everyone close to her had talked to her, trying to activate the trigger. But nothing's worked. She won't wake up."

"Sakura," Neji spoke up," She hasn't heard _your_ voice."

Gulping deeply, Sakura nodded and looked back at the Fifth Hokage. "H-Hey Shishou," she began talking, trying to pretend that she was talking to Tsunade as if she were awake, yet it was so _hard_," I'm s-sorry I took so long to come back. But I _did_ promise you I'd be back. I just wish you were awake to yell at me for being late. But I can't stay too long; there's still a war coming and I'm still running. But I'm okay. I've even got some new friends. You'd like them, even if some of them annoyed you. One of them is Sora, a samurai from a small village. He'd remind you of Naruto so much, and he's always picking fights with everyone. And then there's Kirei. She's such a sweet little girl and guess what? We're training her to be a medic-nin too. For a ten-year-old, she's so smart and already knows the Mystic Palm Jutsu. You'd be proud of her, shishou, I know I am."

"And then there's… this other guy. I think you'd like him. He's a nuke-nin too, so he knows how to take care of us and keep us out of danger. But you don't have to worry; he's such a sweetheart, though he'll never admit it. He's so kind to us and really cares about us. In fact, he's pissed at the fact that I'm here, putting myself in danger. But I'll be okay when I go back; all of us will be just fine."

She was going to continue yet at that moment, Akamaru started whining. Kiba listened for a few seconds before panic set into his face. With wide eyes, he began flailing.

"It's ROOT! They're coming and they'll be here soon!"

Sakura rose to her feet, eyes wide. "Quit panicking, you fool," Neji scolded the flailing Inuzuka," Go stall them while I get Sakura out of Konoha." Kiba quickly nodded in understanding and rushed out of the tent, Akamaru hot on his heels. Neji turned back to Sakura and Shizune.

"It's time to say goodbye, Sakura," he warned, feeling his break at having to tear them apart so soon, but he had to give her a chance to say her farewells. Because it might be a very very long time before she saw either of them again. Perhaps forever.

Sakura could only nod and try to fight back her own tears. She looked at Shizune and Tsunade. Shizune nodded back at her, understanding that she couldn't wait and that she would okay as long as she knew that Sakura was okay. Sakura nodded back, not trusting her voice at the moment.

Then she looked back at her beloved Hokage. "G-Goodbye, shishou," she choked out," I may not see you again, but I love you… And you were the greatest mom I could've ever asked for." And then she ran out after Neji.

"S-Sakura-chan…" Shizune cried, wishing more than anything that she could turn right around and run back to them, but knowing it would kill her if she did. Unable to look at the empty doorway any more, she glanced back down at Tsunade when her eyes widened to epic proportions," Tsu-Tsunade-sama?"

Shining amber eyes blinked at her and rosy red lips opened to speak," Shizune… Did I… Did I just hear Sakura… call me 'mom'?"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune burst into tears and threw herself at her sensei.

**...**

** This is more a filler chapter than anything. The same for the next chapter. But things are heating up really quickly and things will soon be set into motion that will change everything. Be prepared. Because everything you've ever known about this story is about to change.**


	20. The Two Sides of a Coin

**I hope that by updating two chapters in the same day will make up for the months that I've missed… Is it working? =)**

…

"This is as far as I can go," Neji said when they reached the great walls of Konoha," I have to try to stall them, if possible." Sakura nodded back at him, her face grim and somber. Neji reached forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. She trembled in his arms and he felt such nostalgia at the feeling. It had been so long since he got to hold her like this, and even though nothing could ever come of it, he had a connection with her and he cherished that connection. She had been equally scared back then, but for different reasons and he only wished he could soothe her fears like he did back then.

"We'll be okay, you'll see," he promised her, stroking her hair.

"Just promise me you won't do anything to get yourself exiled," she cried in his arms.

He managed to crack a smirk," Like killing the ROOT leader? Tempting, but I'll pass." She playfully pinched his side where he was sensitive before breaking away from him. Just as she was about to run up the walls and disappear out of sight, he grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Don't let him go," he said, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. He sighed, preparing himself for what he was about to say," The man you were talking about before. The nuke-nin that takes care of you. Don't let him go, Sakura-chan. I could tell that you care for him very much, perhaps even love him." Her eyes widened, but he continued," You deserve to have love, Sakura-chan. If you love him, hold onto him and be happy. Even if you don't come back, I'll be happy as long as he makes _you_ happy."

She smiled so sweetly at him, just like the first time, that it made his breath hitch. "He makes me happy," she only said before breaking for the wall and disappearing over the other side.

Not given much time to contemplate her words, but feeling a weight lifted from his heart, Neji turned away from the wall and headed towards the oncoming ROOT squadron. Perhaps he could help Kiba lead them away from her. At least until she reached the ones that made her happy.

…

Now in the forests surrounding Konoha, Sakura sprinted east, back to the Land of Waves. She knew everyone would be furious with her, but right now, she just needed to get back to them. Needed to get back to Itachi.

_'He makes me happy.'_ She hadn't been lying when she said that to Neji. Itachi _did_ make her happy. Unlike anything that Sasuke ever did. Itachi truly cared for her and would move heaven and hell for her, and just the feeling of his care made her happier than she ever could be. He would be furious with her for putting herself in danger, but it would only make her happy, because he would only be mad because he _cared_.

"You're running again."

Something dark and solid, an arm, whipped out in front of her collided with her face. She was slammed into the ground with the force of a large waterfall and the air left her body in a yell of pain. Wincing, she opened her eyes just in time to dodge a whistling fist slamming into the ground where she had been seconds before. Springing up to her feet, she locked eyes with Doro, the ROOT Captain and the 6th Hokage.

"You know it bores me when you run," he drawled, lazily pulling a kunai out of his pouch and twirling it on his finger," I'd like to fight you, Haruno Sakura. This time, no running, no allies… just you and me… in a fight to the death."

…

"So you taught Doc-sensei?" Kirei asked curiously, perched comfortably on Kakashi's back. Kakashi nodded," Hai. I was her Genin sensei when she was a child."

"Oh," Kirei thought for a moment," Then I guess that makes me a Genin too!" The copy-cat ninja chuckled," Sorry to burst your bubble, but you can't be a Genin until you pass the Academy exam and receive your hitai-ate."

"Hitai-ate," she repeated, rolling the word on her tongue," Itachi-nii-san has one, but he's only been wearing it recently. And I know Doc-sensei has one too, but I've never seen it. Itachi-nii-san says she refuses to wear it anymore."

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged glances. They knew all too well why Sakura wouldn't wear her hitai-ate. She refused to acknowledge herself as a traitor of Konoha. But Kirei didn't need to know that. "She probably doesn't want it to get scratched," Naruto said cheerfully," She _does_ treasure it, you know."

Kirei accepted this answer with a nod.

"Hey Kirei," Naruto then called out.

"Hmm?" her ears would've perked up if she had cat ears.

"Why do you call Sakura-chan 'Doc'?"

The little girl just smiled brightly at him," Because in our village, she was our doctor. Everyone always went to her if they were hurt of sick. But she was always more than just a doctor; she was the one us kids would go to for stories and to play. She loved having us around and always had the most amazing stories. Even Itachi-nii-san like it when we would come. He could throw us so high in the air, that it felt like we were flying." She smiled brightly at the memory, missing the way Kakashi and Naruto exchanged shocked looks. Itachi would play with the children?

Instead, Kirei got lost in her own world, reliving that lazy summer spent at that cozy cottage.

_~Flashback~_

_ "Doc! Doc! Doc!" three children cheered happily, running towards the tiny cottage. Sakura sat on the porch, picking the petals off a lavender stalk. But she placed it in the basket beside her when the children approached. There was a smile on her face. _

_ "Tell us a story, Doc!" Takara, a little brunette, demanded promptly sitting in front of her. The village doctor just laughed, especially when Kirei and Ayame mirrored her actions. "Well, what kind of story?" she asked, even though she already knew what they would soon demand. _

_ "We wanna hear about ninjas!"_

_ Sakura laughed again and began her story," There was once a young ninja who loved to pull pranks. Everyday, he had a new prank planned out and was always getting into trouble. But he was a good ninja and almost always got away."_

_ She was about to continue with her tale on how Naruto painted the Hokage monument when Ayame interjected," Good ninjas are _never_ caught."_

_ "Not necessarily," Sakura corrected," There is _always_ someone stronger, someone better, or someone faster. A good ninja has to always remember that and be very careful. A smart and careful ninja is a _good_ ninja."_

_ "Yeah yeah yeah," Takara pushed that aside and looked at Sakura with excited eyes," So was the prankster ninja ever caught?"_

_ "In fact, he was, multiple times," Sakura continued," He was scolded many times and had to do a lot of chores and punishments."_

_ "Such as standing still for hours on end, balancing a pile of bricks on your head," a deep voice added. Everyone looked up to see Itachi leaning in the doorway. On his face was a smirk and Sakura frowned. She'd never heard of that punishment before; maybe he experienced it himself. But for the life of her, she couldn't imagine Itachi as the one to ever get in trouble, much less get punished for it. (What she would never know was that it was _Sasuke_, not Itachi, who stood for five hours in the backyard of the Uchiha estate, balancing bricks on his head)._

_ "Wow, that doesn't sound fun," Kirei pouted._

_ Sakura grinned evilly at her," No, just don't pull any pranks and you won't need to be punished."_

_ "Tch," Takara scoffed, reminding both Itachi and Sakura painfully of Sasuke," The key is to just never get caught. One day, I'm going to be a ninja and I'm never going to be caught."_

_ Kirei frowned at her while Ayame argued," You can't be a ninja, Takara. You're too clumsy." Takara shot back a retort, but they ignored it. Instead, Kirei looked innocently at Sakura._

_ "Doc, are _you_ a ninja?"_

_ The pink haired doctor just smiled," Hai. I'm a medic-nin. I heal sick and hurt people."_

_ "Wow," Kirei's eyes sparkled," I'd like to be a medic-ninja."_

_ "Neh, that sounds so boring," Takara frowned and looked at an impassive Itachi who was inwardly smiling at the argument going on," Are you a ninja, Tachi?" Itachi frowned right back at her at the use of a nickname, but nodded anyways. "What _kind_ of ninja?"_

_ He then smirked," The best kind of ninja. The kind that never gets caught."_

_ Takara cheered, but then Ayame pointed out," That's not true. My mommy says that Doc caught you like a fly in a honey trap."_

_ Sakura blushed a lovely shade of red and spluttered out a protest, but the children would hear nothing of it and only Kirei noticed how Itachi's ears turned a slight red. _

…

_A child's laughter rang through the woods and it caught the ears of one Haruno Sakura. Curious, she headed towards the lake where she heard the laughter. When she happened upon the scene, she turned a bright red and was both shocked and confused at the sight before her. The first thing she caught sight of was Ayame swinging from a long rope tied to a branch high above, soaring over the water before dropping down with a splash. Kirei patiently awaited her turn, as well as the boys Daiki and Isamu. Off to the side, Itachi was just emerging from the lake, taking a break from his swim and opting to keep an eye on the children as they played. _

_ The breath hitched in Sakura's throat at the sight of him. Sure, she had seen him shirtless before, but never had she seen so much skin… and so wet. Water dripped off of his hair, making his rippling muscles shine even more in the sunlight. Unlike Sasuke, Itachi wasn't as pale, having spent so much time in the sun recently without having to worry about being spotted by hunter nins. Even his legs were visible for her to see, as he had torn a pair of his pants for a pair of makeshift swimming trunks. _

_ "Tachi!" Takara rushed towards the man, a wide smile on her face," I want to go flying!" Sakura had no idea what Takara was talking about, but Itachi must've understood, for he simply smiled slightly at the little girl and nodded. Takara lifted her arms towards him, as if waiting to be picked up, and surprisingly, he did. _

_ But in the next moment, using the strength in his arms, Itachi launched her straight into the air, so high that she could've grabbed into a tree branch high above if she wanted to. When she fell towards the ground again, Sakura felt a horrified gasp escape from her mouth, even when Itachi deftly caught the flying girl in his arms once more. _

_ "Itachi!" she yelled out when he did it again. _

_ Apparently, he knew she was there the entire time, as he didn't even flinch when he caught Takara again and gently set her back on the ground and watched as she ran towards the rope swing again. _

_ "That's dangerous, Itachi," Sakura scolded, running forward to stand at his side. But Itachi wasn't perturbed by her scoldings and merely smirked at her," What am I going to do? _Drop_ her?"_

_ Sakura blushed a bright red; no, it was impossible for someone like Itachi to mess up and not catch a little girl. Instead, she ignored the 'I told you so' smirk on his face and looked at the children swinging into the lake. _

_ "Did you make that?" she asked, gesturing towards the rope swing. _

_ He nodded," I can only throw so many children in the air before even _I_ get tired. I figured this was a proper replacement." Sakura just smiled back at him._

_~End Flashback~_

All to soon, the memories had to end as they soon stepped onto a battlefield. Though Kirei's never seen a true battlefield, it looked eerily similar to her leveled village after the raid. The land was demolished and fire burned everywhere. Kirei looked around with wide and shocked eyes, but to her great relief, there were not bodies everywhere. For that she was grateful… until her eyes landed on a certain red head crumpled on the ground.

"K-Karin!" she shouted, recognizing the girl instantly. Kirei remembered how her and the other two men tried to take Doc away, but instead let them go in peace. Karin had been awed by Sakura and Kirei had known that this woman looked up to Sakura like Sakura herself looked up to Kimimitsu.

Kirei struggled in Kakashi's grasp and he reluctantly let her down. Trying to remember everything Doc taught her of the Mystic Palm Jutsu, she ran to the fallen woman.

The wound in her gut was horrifyingly similar to the injury that killed her mother. It was just like the injury that tore her life apart, that destroyed their little village, that turned Kirei into an orphan. But she had to be strong. She had to save this woman's life; it was what Doc taught her. Lives were meant to be saved and it was up to medic-nin's to save them. Holding back the tears, Kirei tried to stop the blood flow with her tiny bare hands. But there was just so much of it…

Tired ruby eyes opened and pale lips smiled weakly," Kirei, right? I never would've thought I'd see you again. I see Haruno _did_ teach you."

"She taught me how to save lives and that's what I'm going to do," the little blonde girl declared, focusing more intensely on her healing. She was met with silence.

"Sasuke," Kakashi addressed his former student," You've certainly fallen a long way. I assume this is your doing."

The brat had the audacity to scoff," She was in my way of revenge. Killing Danzou was just the beginning of Konoha's annihilation."

"_What?_" Naruto gaped at him, flabbergasted at what just came out of Sasuke's mouth," But Sakura-chan already-" he fell silent once his eyes fell on the body of one Danzou, founder of ROOT.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed," The coward faked his own death and disguised himself as the ROOT Captain. He was a fool and a coward, living at the price of other's suffering. Just like the rest of Konoha."

Kakashi gazed at him for the longest time, contemplating something. His lone eyes strayed over to Karin, where Kirei was desperately trying to save her life. "Sasuke…" he called out, stopping Naruto before he could yell right back at his ex-teammate.

"What?" he snapped at him, tension already running high at the fact that they were here in the first place.

Kakashi's onyx eye roved over til it landed on his old student," What would you have done if it was Sakura in Karin's place? What if it wasn't just Naruto and I here to stop you? Would you still attack Sakura if she stood in your way?"

Sasuke didn't even have to think to answer that one, already too far gone in his hatred to realize what he was saying," Yes."

Naruto screamed a profanity, uncaring whether Kirei heard or not and Kakashi could only sigh. "Was that proof enough, Naruto?" he asked," Sasuke's not the same person anymore." Naruto had nothing to say.

"What do you think you've accomplished here, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked him," Do you really think killing everyone who ever wronged you or your brother will solve everything?"

Sasuke just laughed, making their blood run cold," Danzou was only the first step. And let me tell you, it was a high like I've never felt before."

Kirei bit her lip, trying not to shiver in fear at the tone and words coming from Itachi's brother's mouth; was this really the flesh and blood of her precious Itachi-nii-san? "Like I was finally cleansing the Uchiha name of the stigma that's dogged it for all these years," Sasuke continued, laughing and grinning like he had just done the world a favor," Like I was freeing the Uchiha from being associated with this corrupt shinobi world."

"In a sense, it's what Konoha has always wanted. After rejecting my clan for generations, I'm finally going to wipe it from your memories… By killing every last one of you until Konoha is crushed forever! Any link to the Uchiha will be severed and our name will be purified! _That_ is how I'll revive my clan!"

Everyone else could only stare on in shock as Sasuke's words sunk in, but it was only Kirei who finally spoke.

"You are _pathetic_," she said quietly, but it was enough to gain their attentions. Both Naruto and Karin were surprised to hear such a cold and hateful voice come from the sweet child's mouth, but could not say anything, for she was voicing their own thoughts.

"There have been nothing but years and years of hatred," she stood up slowly, her eyes taking on an unfamiliar ice blue chill as she regarded the youngest Uchiha," and your solution to the problem is to create _more_ pain and hatred? You think death will free your clan's name? It will only drag the Uchiha name deeper into Hell!"

"Do you even know what you speak of?" he sneered back at her," You're just a _child_. You don't even know what my clan suffered through for years before being destroyed by the village they trusted!"

"I know Itachi would _never_ condone your actions!" she screamed right back at him, the volume of her voice throwing her slightly off balance," You bring him nothing but shame by your words! What man would _ever_ be proud of a brother who does nothing but kill and destroy?"

The next instant, everything happened so fast that Kakashi barely had time to grab Kirei and shield her behind him before Sasuke's katana stabbed the ground where she stood seconds before. "Shut _up_, you outsider!" he screamed at the little girl, wishing nothing more to kill her for her words. The words that echoed in his heart and told him… she was right.

"Look what you've become, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted right back, leaping forward to protect Kirei and pummeled Sasuke with one hit until he hit the large bridge behind him. Kakashi pushed Kirei back towards Karin, where he and Naruto could fend off Sasuke until he calmed down enough to talk again.

In retaliation, Sasuke dropped back down to the ground below and soon, the lightning sparks of his Chidori became visible.

Karin frowned,_'Sasuke… I may have healed you a little bit, but if you continue fighting…'_ But as all of a sudden warm chakra reentered her system and she could feel Kirei's chakra, so _so_ similar to Sakura's, she glanced over at the young but wise and caring child. She glanced back at Sasuke, then closed her eyes in resolution,_' Actually… forget it, I'm done with you…'_

Naruto's clone popped into existence, and soon, the Rasengan formed in the original's palm. Before Kakashi could stop him, or think of a plan as Sasuke charged them with the Chidori, Naruto shot forward.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, not realizing that in the echo of his voice, Kirei screamed as well.

Time seemed to slow down as the two rivals charged each other, their strongest attacks ready to meet in a clash for the first time in three years; in three years where they've become so much stronger…

_'It's funny, Sasuke…'_ Naruto thought grimly, accepting that he would probably die here today, but if only he could beat some sense into Sasuke or stop him forever,_' You and I could've easily… been standing in each other's shoes right now.'_ It was just _so_ easy to imagine that if what had happened to Sasuke, to be a victim of such a war, to grow up with nothing but hate, would he himself be just like him? Would Sasuke be the lone one to take it upon his shoulder's to stop him, to kill his best friend if he had to?

But that wasn't the case, and nothing could change that now. Right now, it was just him and Sasuke, two different sides of a coin, trying to stop the other.

With a thunderous explosion and a combination of power never seen before, their jutsus collided and all Naruto saw was white.

…

She locked eyes with the ROOT Captain, a scowl on her face," You want a fight to the death? Kill or be killed?"

He merely nodded, smirking victoriously as if he _knew_ that he would be the winner of this battle," We've fought too many times already. Never have I let a prey get away from me twice. It is time to end this."

She frowned, but couldn't help but agree. It _was_ time to end this. For months she lived in fear of this man finding her and destroying her new home. Ever since he did, a thirst for revenge has been burning in her, wanting to make the man who destroyed her life pay. "Yes, let's," she finalized and without waiting for his approval, she disappeared with a poof of smoke and hid cleverly in the surrounding trees. He only laughed and withdrew his katana," So it begins."

"So what will you do, little kunoichi?" he taunted, eyes darting back and forth, trying to perceive where her hiding spot was; he knew she would wait for the most opportune moment to strike, forever if she had to," You know I will leave no opening for you to strike at. Or perhaps are you trying to come up with a proper battle plan?"

He hadn't felt this enthusiastic in ages. For the first time in months, he could feel the blood pump through his veins, for once in a real battle and not locked down in Konoha while Danzou gallivanted around in his disguise. It only made this night sweeter to know that his opponent would be Haruno Sakura. She had been the first person he couldn't kill. Twice she has escaped him. First, she soundly evaded his traps in ROOT HQ, breezing by him on her mission to assassinate Danzou. The annoyance of her evasion got to him and he was the first to go hunting after her when she fled Konoha. But yet again, despite his battle prowess, she successfully escaped from Konoha and the anger of defeat bore down hard on him. It was easier for her, to constantly keep running, to merely dodge him until she could cover her tracks and disappear completely. He wouldn't let her get away this time. This time, they would face off, as true rivals should and only the better would emerge victorious. He could only wonder who that would be. Her, with her medic techniques that made it hard to injure her and her evasive prowess? Or him, with his longer reach, years of experience, and unbeatable speed?

Tonight, they would find out and the last one standing would be the only survivor.

…

Even though they were no where near each other, both Itachi and Sora halted in their tracks and frowned deeply. Something thrummed deep in their bones, shaking their resolutions to the core. Cold shivers ran down their backs, and for some unexplicable reason, they felt like they had lost something precious.

Halfway on their journey to Konoha, it had become apparent that Kirei had lost her way and was instead headed towards the Land of Iron. After a brief argument, it was decided it was best to split up. Sora raced towards the Land of Iron, having known the area from when he was a child. Itachi ran with all his speed to Konoha, feeling it deep in his heart that something would go terribly wrong.

They just couldn't tell whether it was Kirei or Sakura…

…

Naruto stood facing Sasuke in a white void. _'Is this death?'_ he thought momentarily, but soon realized it was just the side effect from their jutsus clashing; it _had_ happened before after all…

Sasuke stood staring right back at him with such coldness that it made Naruto's heart break. Where was the Sasuke he knew? The one he would die for? The one who would never let his precious people get hurt again?

Naruto could understand his hatred and his pain, and felt the long forgotten memories of his childhood that he tried burying long ago. "You know why everyone hated me when I was a kid…" he said quietly, not really caring if Sasuke was listening or not," Because I have the Kyuubi inside me…"

He looked up at Sasuke, understanding his need for revenge," I hated all of them, too. I wanted to get revenge on them." He could only imagine how _easy_ it would've been to become _just_ like Sasuke. "One misstep and I might've been thinking the same horrible things as you."

Yet it was the people who _did_ love him that saved him. "I thought I'd never have a real bond with anyone, not until I met people like you and Iruka-sensei…"

He admitted how he always felt a kinship with Sasuke, even if they had nothing else in common. For he knew that there was someone else who understood his pain of being alone. How he wanted so much to be Sasuke's friend, to create a bond with him like he never could with anyone else.

"But I couldn't… I was jealous of how skilled you were, so I turned you into a rival."

But in truth… "I wanted to be just like you."

And through no matter what, even though Naruto was always chasing Sasuke's shadow as a child, even though Sasuke's become something Naruto could no longer recognize, the memories of who Sasuke used to be were more than enough, and Naruto knew this was true…

"I'm really glad I met you!"

Sasuke could only frown at his words," Naruto…It's too late now. Nothing you say can change me. Nothing you say can fix everything. You have to make a choice now, Naruto."

"Kill me and become a hero, or die at my hand and be another one of my victims!"

Naruto hung his head, but what he said next, he knew he would never take back," I'm not gonna be your victim or go down in history as the man who killed you! Neither! You and me, Sasuke…We're going to die together, on the same day. That's a promise."

…

**Muahahahahaha! I leave you all here to wonder where I'm going with this! Sorry, this is just another filler chapter, but the next one will be beyond epic. Two climaxes are about to approach, as Sakura's fateful battle with Doro has finally come, and Naruto has declared the end of Sasuke. **

** In next chapter: Sakura's world comes to a stop; Itachi loses everything he ever loved; Kirei declares war on Akatsuki; and just who the hell is Chimeiteki Misora?**


	21. The Beginning of the End

**Before I begin , I have a few things I'd like to clarify real quickly. **

** 1. I know Kirei is starting to sound like a Mary-Sue, but it won't last long. Truth be told, I thought it would make more of an impact if it was Kirei in this role instead of Naruto or Sakura, but as soon as our beloved group is back together again, she'll continue being the cute adorable baby sister we all love. **

** (P.S: I've got some BIG plans in the store for Kirei and I want everyone to see how she grew up from a little girl to later become the-… **_You'll have to read to find out. =) )_

**2. No, only one person is going to die soon, but I assure you, it will be none of our little family. But someone **_is_** about to go off the deep end.**

** 3. Remember people, SORA IS NOT KIREI'S REAL BROTHER. As I've hinted at numerous times previous to this, Sora was adopted by Kimimitsu. I'm writing this down to make sure everyone is up to date, because Sora's story is about to get more confusing from here on out. In this chapter, you'll find out who Sora _really_ is and how he came to be Kirei's big brother. **

** (P.S: He actually has a lot more history than can be mentioned in this chapter, but you'll later find out from both Itachi and Sora himself as to why Sora has such deep connections with the shinobi world.)**

…

Since this was the third time since Sakura's fought the esteemed ROOT Captain Doro, it was easier to predict his fighting methods, but while putting her at an advantage; it also put her at a _disadvantage_. Just like how she was accustomed to Doro's fighting style, he was as accustomed to hers. Doro knew well enough to avoid her fists at all costs and to stay just out of her reach until she wore herself out. Yet Sakura has an abundance of stamina and could keep coming at him, trying to push him into a corner, all night if she had to. Doro was a mid distance fighter, that was essential, as he based most of his attacks off of the 'quick-strike' method, stay on the outside, jump in quick to deliver a blow, then quick jump back out. Yet Doro was at a loss when faced with Sakura's unbeatable evasion prowess.

"When are we going to stop this game?" he sighed nonchalantly, as if he was bored with this fight already, despite sporting a very nasty gash on his arm when Sakura managed to nick him when he tried pouncing. He flicked a kunai with deadly accuracy at the girl, who dodged it like it was nothing more than a fly. It merely whizzed by her head before landing with a THUNK in the tree behind her.

"Why? Are you ready to drop dead?" Sakura taunted, earning another kunai thrown at her head. She took the one second it took him to execute the throw and watch to see if it hit its target as an opportunity to kick a heel into the ground. Rubble exploded upwards in a flurry, obscuring his view of her and forcing him to cover his face. The kunai collided with a rock with hardly a kling and fell into the upturned rubble below. Out of instinct, Doro pulled out a handful of shuriken, lodging one between each finger.

Once the earth fell back down to the ground, and the dust cleared, his target was nowhere to be seen. Knowing that Sakura liked to used sneak attacks whenever she had the chance, using the element of surprise as an advantage over her small size, he kept all of his senses open, wondering if she would appear from behind, above, or the sides.

…or underneath, as the ground at his feet suddenly exploded and a hand latched onto his ankle, squeezing so hard that he heard bones snap. Before he could even yell out in alarm, he felt a great pull and the next thing he knew, he was spinning in the air before hitting the solid ground with his head.

Sakura watched with disappointment when the Doro she just threw into the ground disappeared with a small POOF of smoke. But she did not have long to feel her displeasure and she was forced to evade when Doro came from behind her suddenly, charging with kunai. She pulled her own kunai out and blocked it roughly, wincing when the screech of metal on metal grated next to her ears.

For a split second, Sakura got a good look at his face and what she saw there instilled something akin to fear in her. Doro was grinning like a maniac; the corner of his lips pulled up in a devious smile, his eyes lit up with malicious joy, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips sensuously before retreating.

He was _enjoying_ this.

"I've never had an opponent as _vexing_ as you before, Haruno," he murmured, his other hand darting up with another kunai at the same time. Barely registering his words, Sakura threw up her hand, covering it with protective chakra at the last second, and grasped the kunai by the blade. Doro's eyes widened in an ecstatic manner for a brief second as he glanced at her tiny hand around the blade.

"Such prowess, such _control_ to create your own chakra into armor," he mused, seemingly fascinated by her profound ability. Sakura ignored him and settled for a heartfelt glare.

"You are truly one of a kind, _Sakura_," he nearly purred her name and a shiver of fear and disgust trembled down Sakura's spine," Precedented only by your late Hokage, the Slug Princess."

"She's not _dead_," Sakura growled back at him. At his smug look, she snarled at his face and concentrated on her anger. The fear he instilled in her was holding her back, hindering her, and she knew she had to focus on her anger to overpower him. Her temper, much like her shishou's, had always been her weak point until Tsunade taught her how to rein in the power of her anger and explode out in what Tsunade called a true berserker mode.

"Did you think Tsunade would let someone with the likes of _you_ continue running Konoha to the ground?" she snarled at him, her right leg suddenly jerking up at the same time, aiming for his side. In defense, Doro pushed her other arm to cause her unbalance, and as she swung her leg to get both feet back on the ground, he narrowly dodged her foot. He was lucky; it could've easily broken a couple ribs.

"Your Hokage is in a _coma_," he said simply, but smiled when he saw the flash of fury in her eyes. He pushed her again and for the half second that it took her to regain her balance again, he pulled his right kunai away and lashed out at her again. She deflected it again with her own kunai, but a quick flick of his wrist and sideswipe towards her, he deftly grazed where her lower rip rested. The sharp metal tore through her flesh easier than it did the shirt, and as he came away with a slightly red kunai, a flower of dark red blossomed on her side. The metallic scent of blood permeated the air and his eyes dilated at the wondrous aroma.

"Admit it, your Hokage is _dying_," he taunted her, ecstatic when she all but growled at him and pushed until his feet were pushed into the ground.

"Medic coma's don't last forever," she growled," By the time we're done here, you'll no longer have the name of 'Rokudaime' to even put on your gravestone."

Something dark and sinister glinted in his eyes," Then I guess after I'm done playing with you here, I'll have to finish off your precious shishou to ensure my future as Hokage… won't I?"

His threat to kill Tsunade was it; the final click Sakura needed to feel the sudden rush of pure hot anger wash through her veins. It overcame her like a raging tsunami and she welcomed it with open arms.

A battle-cry resounded for her throat and before Doro's very eyes, something dark and fierce flashed through her eyes, before a large amount of chakra began to surge around them.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Her!" something akin to a roaring battle-cry exploded from into the air, just like the explosion of chakra that burst out in waves in rhythm with her words. For every words she shouted, a wave of chakra would explode outward, until on the final word, the pressure was too much and Doro was flung back in a heap of limbs.

He barely caught himself on his feet, only to face a raging kunoichi coming at him with fists and kunai. Before his very eyes, she was attacking him with such ferocity that her speed had doubled and even as her fist flew by his side, he could feel the reverberating power behind it linger in the air.

_'So she uses her anger as a fuel source for her power,'_ he thought, amazed,_' Her emotions don't hinder her; they empower her.'_

"Such exquisiteness," he drawled, leaping away to a safe distance with a smug smile on his face.

As she faced him, filled with rage and power and shining with the beauty of her strength, he felt a rush of hot blood flow through him and he thought he'd never seen anything quite so beautiful.

"You are truly one of a kind, _Sakura_," he purred, before realizing a drop of her blood still shone on his kunai. An insane urge overcame him and bringing the kunai to his lips, his tongue darted out and tasted it. The taste of copper had never been sweeter and unknown to himself, his eyes grew darker.

When Sakura saw his eyes darken and an amazed smile spread onto his lips, she recognized that look, she _knew_ that look, and a shiver of fear and trepidation ran down her back.

His dark bottomless eyes roved back over to her and she stiffened at the look of _hunger_ there. "You shall be my greatest conquest," he declared and Sakura felt something deeper than fear settle in the bottom of her stomach.

…

He came out of nowhere that it honestly scared those who were not accustomed to it. One moment, words had been thrown and then all of sudden, the child smiled brightly and then he was there. Eyes, blue as ice, stared them all down, promising death to any who stepped forward with the intent to fight. To accentuate his point, one of his beloved katanas were drawn and pointed in a threatening manner towards the blonde shinobi he did not recognize. Five ninja's (one wounded) surrounded him and he still had yet to determine who was friendly or not, if ninjas could even be trusted in the first place.

The dark haired shinobi across from him also drew his own sword and the newcomer recognized it as Kusanagi. Underneath his cold eyes, a fleeting thought of remorse flashed through him.

_'Kusanagi, you were a great sword and ally… Now you are reduced to __**this**__,'_ he could only feel pity for the sword whose name preceded it.

"You have no right to bear Kusanagi," he warned the amateur swordsman," Do not disgrace it even further by challenging _me_."

The man wearing a ridiculous orange mask stood off to the side a bit behind the whelp chuckled darkly," Such a common trait found in samurai; to give their opponent a chance to back down before commencing a fight. Why not continue with the battle when you know you will come out the victor?"

Sasuke glared at Madara for daring to imply that he would have walked away the loser, but it was ignored. Sora's other hand rested seemingly carelessly on his other katana, but it was evident it could be withdrawn before either could blink.

"Sora-nii!" Kirei yelled out again, looking up from her healing of Karin for a moment to greet her brother," I thought you were going after Doc." She asked this with a hint of question, but decided not to press further when Sora fixed her with a stern glance.

"Doc does not get into fights with S-rank criminals," he said wryly. Kirei said no more.

"Sora, huh?" Madara mused, speaking nonchalantly as if no one else was there," So that is what you go by now? I have to admit, you do look different and you changed your name; it if weren't for those precious swords I would not have realized who you were."

"What is he talking about?" Naruto blurted out, thoroughly lost," How do you know this bastard, Sora? Where's Sakura-chan?"

Only Kakashi's ever observant eye caught the slight flinch Sasuke made when hearing Naruto's last sentence. But Sasuke wasn't looking at him, instead his onyx eyes were fixed on the samurai with a light of realization in them.

Kakashi was both curious and elated at Sasuke's reaction. By reacting to Sakura's name, it meant that somewhere deep inside, there was still some bit of humanity left in him and Sakura was the only way to bring it back out. Yet why did he look at this Sora fellow with such eyes, as if he knew him but is seeing him for the first time?

_'Sasuke knows more about Sakura and her group than he's letting on,'_ he suddenly realized with startling clarity,_' He knows about her companions and knows Sora is one of her protectors. But how does he not know about Itachi? Was that truth hidden from him as well? Why would Sakura do such a thing if it would bring Sasuke to his senses?'_

What Kakashi would never know is that was a secret Danzou willingly took to his grave, praying that Sasuke would never know and therefore his brother would never again be involved with Konoha's wars.

Sora turned his icy gaze towards the mysterious masked man," Madara, I presume? I was always told that you like to wear a ridiculous orange mask to hide your true self…"

Underneath his mask, Madara smirked. "So you know about me as well, I see. Tell me, whom exactly told you that I was still alive?"

Sora smirked, looking particularly dangerous as his eyes glinted," You should know that better than anyone else, Uchiha. For it was your great great grandson who gave me the ultimate defense against the Sharingan."

Sasuke's ears nearly perked at Sora's words, catching the name of his dojutsu. An ultimate defense against the Sharingan? How was that even possible? Unless…

"Of course," Karin whispered, suddenly understanding everything. It was the lack of Sora's chakra that made him impermeable to all dojutsus. Even though he could not perform any jutsus, it was not a disadvantage. His chakra supplies could never be lowered and therefore could never be exhausted; he was invisible to the Byakugan and could move unseen against most enemies; the Sharingan picked up on chakra and was able to predict all moves based on the flow, and if there was none, then the Sharingan could see _nothing_.

If Sora were to face against any Uchiha with Sharingan, then his opponent would be forced to deactivate his Sharingan, after realizing it was useless in a battle against the skilled samurai. The shinobi would have to rely on his taijutsu and ninjutsu alone, for his Sharingan and genjutsu would be nullified. Against a swords master, the battle would be over fairly quickly, with Sora the victor.

Madara frowned underneath his mask," Still annoying as ever, I see. You were troublesome as a brat, always prying into Uchiha business."

Sora grinned a dark smile," Blame your descendent, Fugaku. If he had stayed away from my clan, there would have been no need for war."

"Oh, but don't you know? Uchihas and Chimeitekis _thrive_ on war."

A gasp escaped from Kakashi as the name Chimeiteki rang through the air. He _recognized _that name; he _knew_ that name from long lost legends and stories told. But it couldn't be possible, they were killed off decades ago. Right?

"Kaka-sensei?" Naruto noticed his former sensei's sudden gasp," Do you know what they're talking about?"

Seeing Naruto, Kirei, and even Karin looking at him expectantly, Kakashi could only nod in answer. But before he could speak, Madara confirmed his fears by addressing Sora one last time. "Yes, the prodigy Uchiha Itachi and you, the great Chimeiteki Ryuuketsu, were always the exceptions."

"Ryuuketsu…" Kakashi murmured, having not heard that name in years. Ryuuketsu was rumored to be one of the last of the ferocious Chimeiteki clan, a clan of rogue samurai, famous for storming onto battlefields and destroying both opposing sides. Ryuuketsu was the prodigy of the clan after its demise and was often heard of haunting the roads between Konoha and Kiri, along with the fearsome Gyakusatsu, his father. They would attack any and all caravans, furthering their skills at the swords. Once they got bored with that, they began to hire themselves out as assassins, sometimes disposing of entire families if the price called for it.

As Kakashi told Naruto of this, a frown found its way onto Sora's face, hearing things long forgotten and better off gone forever.

"It wasn't until the Uchiha clan got involved that it escalated into war," Kakashi continued," For it was the Uchihas that destroyed the Chimeiteki clan almost thirty years ago. Uchiha Fugaku was rumored to have been the one to lead the attack, and when he heard that one survived, he was determined to finish his mission."

"By this time, he was the Head of the Uchiha clan, and could not go out and hunt the Chimeiteki's down himself, so he was forced to send out his most capable soldier."

Sasuke suddenly became pale, knowing exactly who the most capable Uchiha back was then.

"Uchiha Itachi," Sora finished for Kakashi and voicing Sasuke's thoughts," Fugaku sent his own son out to kill _me_."

"It was a rivalry that was known by all ANBU," Kakashi confirmed," As a ANBU operative by the time he was twelve, Itachi was thought to be without equal. But then Ryuuketsu came along, an eleven year old samurai that even most ANBU feared to go against."

"Itachi was lucky he didn't have to go against my father," Sora continued for him," My father was still teaching me, and was by far more skilled than I. But luckily for Itachi, he died of fever before Konoha came after us."

And so then their glorious rivalry began. Or it would have been glorious if looking on from another's point of view. Imagine, two young prodigies going against each other, pitting their skills and techniques against each other, determining who the one without equal was. But no one ever knew about the bloodshed, the horror, the death, the sadness that lingered around after each cosmic battle.

Sora's blue eyes glanced down at his own sword in his hand, remembering a time long ago when this sword meant nothing more than death at his hands. Back then, his life had been nothing more than what the next mission brought, what his next target was, and running away from those damn hunter-nins.

Sora could remember the very first time he laid eyes on Uchiha Itachi, even though he didn't know at the time that he was the son of the man who destroyed his people. Itachi had chased Sora (no, back then he wasn't Sora, he was _Ryuuketsu_) down after an assassin of a particularly rich merchant. Ryuuketsu had evaded the rest of the guards and even the majority of the ANBU squad. However, Itachi had broken away from the rest of the squad, against direct orders, and eventually ran Ryuuketsu to the ground. It had been their first battle, and one that was forever etched into Sora's memory.

When Ryuuketsu had finally turned around to face his assailant, he was floored to see that the only one who had kept up with him was no more than a kid. Of course, Ryuuketsu had no idea who Uchiha Itachi was, and had no clue that Itachi was in fact a year older than him. All Ryuuketsu had seen was a little kid a few inches shorter than himself, and wearing ANBU regalia. Despite Itachi's serious face, to Ryuuketsu, it just looked like a little kid playing dress up.

Ryuuketsu had laughed at Itachi and said as much. Sora bit back the urge to smirk at the memory; he had expected Itachi to become angered at him and begin attacking immediately. Instead, the Uchiha just sighed and rolled his eyes, saying," Yeah, I get that a lot."

Even all the way back then, he had been a snarky brat.

…

_"Wake up child," a sweet voice rang through the air, waking him from his deep slumber. If that's what he could call it. He won't lie; he had just had the most epic battle of his entire life, only to barely walk away from it with his life. The last thing he remembered was stumbling through the woods, bleeding to death, and then he saw the most remarkable thing in the world. _

_ It was a little cabin stuck right in the middle of the woods, with a little porch and a little blonde haired girl playing on it. He only remained conscious long enough to see a white haired woman step out of the cabin, before the ground rushed up to meet his face. _

_ Now, he was waking up once more to hear a warm and soothing voice calling to him. Blearily, he opened his eyes a fraction, not having the strength to do more than that, and the face of a smiling woman came into view. She was a middle aged woman, but had a pretty face and a bright smile. He wondered who she was. _

_ "You gave us quite a scare," she said, dabbing a cool cloth on his forehead. She frowned all of a sudden," Such a young lad, you are. No more than a child. Yet you look like you just came out of a war."_

_ Something flashed through her eyes, but before he could register what it was, it was gone. Her smile had returned, though not with its previous brightness. _

_ "Don't worry, Misora," she comforted," We will take care of you. This place shall be a safe haven for you."_

_ His eyebrows furrowed together," Misora?"_

_ She opened her mouth to answer, but another voice spoke instead," Misora-nii-san!" A little girl about the age of two or three ran into the room and zipped over to his bedside, watching with him big blue eyes. He turned his head to look at her, and when their eyes met, she burst out into a smile and repeated," Misora-nii-san!"_

_ Smiling ruefully, the elder woman bent over to pick up her young daughter and answered his unanswered question," We didn't know what to call you, so Kirei here took it upon herself to give you a name."_

_ "But now that you are awake, what would you prefer us to call you by?"_

_ He thought for a moment. A name? Should he give them his real name? Maybe he could be someone else?_

_ That thought, though merely a fleeting thought, jarred something inside of him that left him breathless. **Could **he be someone else? A new name, a new life, a new chance? _

_ **Dark emotionless eyes gazed right into his own eyes, just as emotionless, just as dead. "We weren't meant for this war, not like this. You shouldn't have to live like this."**_

_** "So what? You're going to kill me? Out of mercy?" he sneered back at him. Though the other usually had a snappy comeback, this time, he was silent… sad, almost. **_

_** "From this day forward, Chimeiteki Ryuuketsu is dead," he announced, though it sounded like it pained him to say it," You however, still have your whole life ahead of you. Make the most of it, and don't look back."**_

_** Baby blue eyes widened," Wh-what are you saying?"**_

_** "I'm telling you to run. Disappear from sight, never to be heard of again. Start over."**_

_** He was silent for the longest time, then in the quietest voice he ever used, he asked," What about you? Will you run too?"**_

_** A smile, the first real one he'd ever seen on the other's face, split his lips. Though it was not a happy smile; it was one full of sadness, of regret, of sorrow. "There's no hope for me, I am already dead." **_

_Misora… he kind of like that name. 'Beautiful Sky.' A little feminine for his tastes, but he like the meaning behind it. For so long, he had been an object of death and destruction, even his name represented that. He had been locked within his own existence for his whole life, never to have the chance to become something… more._

_ And the sky… it symbolized freedom, something he never had. Perhaps this was his chance to grasp that which stayed out of his reach for so long…_

_ "You can call me Sora."_


	22. The Love We Feel

**A/N: I know you all hate me and I'm honestly and truly sorry. It's literally been forever since I've updated and left you all hanging. This chapter was just so difficult to write, as I quite don't know how to capture the essence of it. However, I did my best and hope that the wait was worth it. I'm terribly sorry. **

**Warning: Due to the chapter's contents, the rating will now go up to M. The story will remain M for Mature the rest of the story, as everything will be out in the open. I'm sorry if this bothers anyone, but I won't tamper with the storyline, nor pause and tell you when to close your eyes. You're all (hopefully) adults, or close enough, and can appreciate the reason not to sugarcoat such things. **

**P.S. I took the lyrics for this chapter from Christina Perri's song 'A Thousand Years'**

…

** _'Heart beats fast…'_**

He could feel his heart beating loud and strong in the confines of his chest. Each beat, each thump of the muscle battering against his rib cage, felt painful, almost like a kunai digging into his flesh. Each beat was like a countdown, forcing him to run faster, to run harder, to get there sooner.

_'I will find her,'_ he promised himself,_' I'll bring her home.'_ Not once did he stop to consider what the possibility of 'home' was, all he knew was that there simply _was_ no home without her there. Mid thought, a flash of golden light danced across his face, making him stop and look to the west. The sun was a beautiful golden color, still floating in the sky, but painting it a wondrous canvas of colors.

_**'Colors and promises…'**_

Evening was about to fall, perhaps in another couple hours or so. The sun was setting on the second day of Haruno Sakura's disappearance… Itachi raised his face to look at the low sitting sun, letting the last warm rays of the day dance across his face.

_'We should be back in the Land of Waves,'_ he thought absently,_' we would be eating dinner right about now." _Though she was not bred to be as such, Sakura very much resembled a housewife in her insistence to keep a routine to their days. Without fail, dinner (whether made by herself, Kimimitsu, or even Itachi) was on the table at least a couple hours before dusk, right when everyone could have some time to spend the last daylight hours in good company. Having been on the run for so long, Itachi had at first been baffled and annoyed by the strict schedule, but eventually came to appreciate the routine. It was yet another thing to look forward in the day, having known exactly when it would occur. And of course, it being Sakura, she made good use of the table and chairs, and made it clear he was not allowed to prepare his food, only to disappear to eat it elsewhere.

Lulled by his thoughts of dinner, Itachi's stomach chose that time to complain of its lack of food. If he hadn't been so focused on his mission to reach Konoha in time, he would've laughed at himself. _'Look at how docile I've become,'_ he would've chuckled,_' I've been trained to expect food at this exact time.'_ But it was true, and was yet another reminder that he didn't have Sakura with him anymore. In less than a year, she had become such an integral part of his life, and he literally couldn't imagine life without her. It would only be a dark and dismal existence at best, and not worth imagining.

Oh, how he longed to just see her face again. He would be able to hold her in his arms, and promise that no matter what she felt she had to do, he would be right there beside her. If only he had made that clear to her, then she wouldn't have felt the need to run off on her own to save her shishou. It would the first thing he would take care of once he got her back, right after he made it clear to her just how her being gone made him incomplete. That only with her fitting right in his arms, eyes shining up at him was what he needed to feel whole.

_**'How to be brave…'**_

_'I love her,'_ he was resolute in his thoughts, eyes hard and determined as he took off at a run again,_' I can admit that now. And soon, she will know it.'_ It was a promise he would make sure to keep, even if he died trying.

…

Every muscle in her body hurt and screamed in exhaustion. She was ill prepared for this battle, and somewhere deep inside her, she knew it would her downfall. For two days, she had raced across the land to reach her homeland in record time. Then with only a single night of rest, her body simply hadn't recovered enough, not to take on an elite shinobi like Doro.

She knew it, and he did as well. It would only be a matter of time before she fell.

_'I'm sorry Itachi,'_ Sakura thought to herself, just barely dodging another attack,_' I won't be able to return like I promised.'_ Only now did she wish that he had been awake to have heard her make that promise, so that he wouldn't worry like she knew he would. Like she was sure he was right now.

…

_~Flashback~ The night was dark and dead_, as they tell in the stories, when she put her shoes on her feet. In the next room, she could hear Tazuna's snoring, as was the same from all those years ago. On either side of her, Sora and Itachi slept peacefully in their futons, aided by the sleeping potion she slipped into their drinks. She couldn't afford to have them following her. (She chuckled when Sora began talking in his sleep, mumbling incoherent words.) Kirei lay bundled up in her nest of blankets next to the window, looking like an adorable angel.

_ **'How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?'**_

Her eyes settled lastly on Itachi's face; he looked so peaceful in his sleep for once. Though she knew it was because the potion gave him a dreamless sleep, she wished he could sleep like this more often. Too many nights did he sleep so fitfully, plagued with nightmares of his past, that it broke her heart every time. But this time, she wouldn't be there in the morning.

"I wish I didn't have to do this," she murmured, sitting by his side, and stroked the bangs out of his face. He didn't move. Never in her life had she imagined feeling this way about anyone other than Sasuke. Especially for his older brother. Fate must think this is all very funny, she thought, yet it was true. Only once before in her life, had she felt this heart breaking pain of being separated from someone very dear to her, and that had been when Sasuke left Konoha. Yet, her heart hadn't been crying like it was now…

Perhaps it was because this time, _she_ was the one leaving him behind, to do something that she must. Or maybe it was the fact that she knew he returned her feelings, that he cared just as much. Some part of her knew that this would hurt him just as much as it would hurt her.

Sakura bit her lip, willing away any tears. She just got him back in her life; she didn't want to lose him again. Their relationship was still blooming, still growing, and she wanted so very much to see where it would go. That night, when he kissed her, and admitted that she was the most important person in the world to him, her heart had broken all over again. But he very carefully put those pieces back together, for they were never fully healed after Sasuke's betrayal, and reshaped her heart into one that loved him and only him. Sasuke was but a piece of her past, and her present and future consisted of Itachi.

_**'But watching you stand alone**_

_** All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow'**_

There was no one in the world quite like Itachi, no one who made her feel the way she does. She was no longer afraid. She gave her heart to Sasuke once, and he broke it. But she didn't fear Itachi of doing the same. He would love her, in time if he didn't already, and she could happily say that she loved him back.

Bending over, Sakura brushed her lips across his own, loving how warm and familiar they felt, even though he hadn't kissed her since that night. (When he held and kissed her, promising over and over again that he would make sure she never regretted giving him this chance; when he laid by her all night, stroking her skin and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.)

"I'll come back soon, I promise," she swore to him, kissing his lips one more time in farewell. Then she smiled, oh so sweetly yet so bitterly, as she wished he was awake to hear her," I love you."

_**'One step closer…'**_

_And then she disappeared_ _into the night. ~End Flashback~_

…

"Aargh!" a burst of pain shot across her side and she yelled out in surprise. Doro's black eyes flashed at her, grinning in victory as he held the kunai in place, wedging it between her ribs. Blood shot forth, coating his hand and her entire left side, leaving her feeling dizzy and extremely weakened.

"You're finished," he taunted, smiling in glee as she desperately clawed at him, trying to pull the kunai out. She could only scream again when he whipped another kunai out with his other hand, only to slam it into the palm of her hand, nailing it to the cold hard ground.

How beautiful she looked covered in blood, yet still fighting for her life, he thought, watching as she pulled against the kunai and pushing against him, trying to move him off of her. Why didn't she just accept that she was done for, that he won, and now she should just accept her death?

"Fuck you," she spat at him, spitting blood in his face, yet he only relished in it.

"Why won't you just give up?" he asked, leaving the kunai in her side (he didn't want her to bleed out quite yet) and jammed another kunai in her other hand, hearing her grunt in pain, refusing to scream. "Why don't you break?" he asked, pondering why she never once begged for her life, never asked for a quick death.

"You can't break me," she growled at him, though it was gurgled on her blood.

His eyes flashed dangerously at that," I can't, can I?" That same maniacal gleam from earlier appeared, and she felt her blood run cold. This man was not like any other; he thrived in other's pain and would only find joy in hers.

"Tell me, how can't I make you break?" he whispered in her ear, brushed her ear lobe with his lips, loving how it made her shiver in fear. "What if I broke you of all your defenses, took you apart shred by shred, all while you watched your life flash across your eyes? You would shut your eyes, wishing for death to take you quickly, but it wouldn't," he promised her," Your death will be slow, and will only come once I'm finished with you."

Just as he said, Sakura could only close her eyes and dream of something else, _anything_ else, once she felt his lips move from her ear to her neck. He would try to break her, just as he promised, but she would not give him the satisfaction of begging him to stop. She would not give him that.

_**'I have died every day, waiting for you'**_

Her body ached in pain and shivered in fear when he ripped her vest off, ignoring how it made her arms ache and the kunai tore at her palms, pooling blood in her hands. Instead, she thought of all the people she would miss, people that she loved with all her heart.

Naruto, dear Naruto… she never did get to apologize for leaving him in Konoha, for never explaining why she had to run. She wished she could have seen him one last time, to have her brother by her side one last time and to hug him goodbye.

_'Goodbye,'_ she cried, the tears streaming down her face though she never wished them there. Doro moved lower on her body, and when she realized that she was starting to notice his movements, she forced her mind away, to anywhere but here. It would all be over soon. These would be her last thoughts; she would make sure they were of something important to her, and not in fear of what was happening to her right now.

_**'Darling, don't be afraid'**_

She wondered if her other teammate would hear of her death, of how she died in one last foolish attempt to save her village. That's exactly what Sasuke would think of her: foolish and annoying. She never should've come here in the first place, but now she wouldn't have a life to regret it. She wondered if he would even care, if her death would strike a long lost chord in his heart, make him feel a pain every time he thought of her. Would he regret not seeing her one last time, like she did? Would he ever know that even though she didn't love him with all her heart anymore, that her heart belonged to his brother now, that he was still one of her most important people? Would he ever guess that one of her last thoughts was of him, of how she wished they could've lived a different life?

For so long, he had been the source of her motivation, her inspiration to become stronger. She owed him everything, even though he took everything from her. It was too bad he would never know it.

The first push of Doro's invasion into her body made her scream in pain, despair, and lost hope. It was painful, foreign, and tore her in more than body and emotionally, eased only by the amount of blood present. As he began a merciless pace, more concerned about breaking her than any form of pleasure, she felt a small satisfaction that he hadn't taken from her, her very first. Neji had been the one to save her from losing it to someone she didn't care about, and in the afterlife, she would be forever be grateful to him for that.

But as the pain increased and she could no longer ignore it, she desperately thought of one last thing. One last thing to take with her to her death before she bled out.

_Itachi…_

_ **'I have loved you for a thousand years'**_

His face shone in her mind's eye, looking at her like he did that night. It seemed so long ago, and was a dear memory to her. It was a night that she felt _wanted_, felt like she was actually _loved_. His eyes gazed hers with such conflictions and so much confusion, making it impossible for her to guess what he was feeling. But then he kissed her, had poured so much of his soul into that one kiss, that it left her feeling dizzy. She'll never forget the feelings of flight and joy it sparked in her heart when she kissed him back, catching him by surprise.

For so long, she's wanted for someone to want her back. To never leave her side and love her til she dies. She had been given that hope when he came back, the first one to ever come back, and that hope was cemented when he confessed why he did. Now her heart was free when she knew why he wanted to stay, why he wouldn't leave her again.

_~"Y-You… bastard!" she screamed at him, her palm still stinging from when she slapped him across the face. "You can't just come waltzing back here after you decided to leave," she yelled at him," You said we'd never see you again, that you were gone for good! You don't think I've made my peace with that, that I've finally accepted that you were gone? How do you think this makes me feel? For you to come back after so long? I'll tell you what, it's like picking open a goddamn scab all over again!"_

_ He didn't flinch, didn't look away, and just looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry," he finally said, in the most sincere voice she'd ever heard from him. _

_ That took her aback, as she never expected him to apologize. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Why?" she asked," Why would you come back? You don't owe anything to me. You can go wherever you want. Why don't you just **leave** and not look back?"_

_ She thought she saw something flash across his eyes, but it was gone in the next second," I don't want to be one of those people."_

_ As she tried deciphering those words, only one worry popped into her head. One thing that she wouldn't be able to handle should it ever happen. "Wh-what if you decide you want to leave again? Will you promise to make up your mind? That you won't keep leaving then coming back, giving me hope then just taking it away?"_

_ At this, he took a step towards her, dipping his head low and close to hers. He spoke lowly, so that Sora and Kirei may not hear him," No." Before she could say anything, he continued," Because I will not leave again. I will follow you to the ends of the earth." And then he handed her a small white envelope…~_

Kami, she should've seen it back then. Should've seen how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. How much she loved him. The mere thought of him leaving again terrified her, more than anything, and with only two sentences, he ripped that terror to shreds and left it there in that marketplace. There was only him and his promise to never leave her side.

_'The right Uchiha…'_ Naruto had no idea just how right he was. He may not have been able to keep his promise, but he gave her something so much better. Itachi was the right one for her, and she was so happy that she got to know that for the short time she had with him.

_'I love him,'_ she thought peacefully, loving the way that felt so natural to her. That her loving Itachi was meant to be.

All too soon, she was brought back to reality when Doro growled on top of her; it was over. She noticed how he was panting, exhausted by the effort, and she thought it strange. Had this act worn him out too much, the passion with which he wanted to break her finally wearing him down, leaving his blood boiling for far too long?

She barely felt it when he pulled the kunai out of her right hand and held it above her heart. Instead, she just looked at him, thinking of Itachi and her love, and wondered how she could've let this… monster take that away from her. She no longer cried, replaced by her fury. How _dare_ he try to take her away from her family, to take away her life with Itachi?!

"Why don't you break?!" Doro screamed at her, that defiant gleam in her eyes unsettling him. He just didn't understand it. She had been broken, dead and lifeless inside as he took her, taking from her the one last shred of dignity she had. "You have _nothing_," he yelled," You are _nothing_. And now you are dead; nothing more than a broken toy, a notch to mark one more of my victims. _Why don't you just give up and break already?!"_

Her answer was in the very surprising form of her right fist reaching up and slugging him across the face. The force of her hit threw him off her, rendering her free to move. In a movement quicker than she ever could've hoped for, she ripped the other kunai from her left hand and stood up. Her clothes fell around her in pieces, left only with her outer skirt and parts of her tank top and bindings. As she advanced on Doro, who laid in the dirt, rendered disoriented by her hit to his temple, the only thought in her mind was of Itachi.

_'We have our whole lives in front of us,'_ she thought, infuriated at how close that had been taken away from her,_' We spent an entire lifetime never knowing the possibilities, and we had the chance to make up for that lost time. How __**dare**__ this man try to take that away from us?'_

She _would_ return to Itachi, no matter what. And this time, when she told him she loved him, he would know.

She took another step towards Doro, and then she laid her second hit on him, putting all her fury and emotions into those hits. With each hit, she felt her energy coming back to her, the goal of returning to Itachi giving her the strength to do what must be done. But first, she had to make this man pay for what he'd done. Even long after he stopped yelling in pain, long after she felt his skull break under her knuckles, she kept hitting him, down into the earth. This man did _not_ deserve any mercy from her.

It wasn't until after the sun was sitting low in the sky that she stopped. She turned away from the body, nothing recognizable about it, and faced the opposite direction. Itachi's face flashed in her mind, and all she wanted was to be wrapped in his arms again. He could make all this hurt go away; he could make her whole again; only him. Never once looking back at Doro, she started running home, though never in the direction of Konoha. Instead, she ran straight for the Land of Waves, where she knew Itachi would be. _'Please wait for me,'_ she prayed, vowing to stay together in one piece until she reached him, that she would not break down until she was safe in his arms,_' I'm coming home. I love you.'_

_ **'I'll love you for a thousand more…'**_


	23. The Horizon

It was a beautiful sunset, even if it was one that set on such a somber day. As a person that was often known as the sun personified, Uzumaki Naruto couldn't help but raise his head to watch the golden sphere sink low on the horizon. Streaks of red and pink flashed through the sky, reminding him of his missing teammate. Following the lines of pink that raced across the sky, he slowly turned his head to look at the night sky falling on the other horizon. Midnight blue like his other lost teammate's hair dominated the sky. Yet it was not completely black, lightened by those few strands of pink, red, and yellow lights.

_'I keep seeing them in everything,'_ Naruto mused to himself, finding it funny yet sad that every time he saw those two colors, pink and blue, he can't help but think of his two important people.

"Naruto?" Kakashi called out, trailing behind the younger boy, carrying Sasuke's injured ex-teammate. Karin, was her name, or so Kirei had informed them. She was silent for the most part, instead just watching them as they headed back towards Konoha.

Hearing his Genin sensei, Naruto glanced over his shoulder, though it pained Kakashi to see the usual grin on Naruto's face… gone.

"Has it really come to this, Kaka-sensei?" Naruto asked, his voice somber and his eyes strayed downward.

Kakashi feigned ignorance," Come to what, Naruto?"

Naruto only had to say one word," War."

At this, everyone fell silent once more. Yes, it had finally come to this. Yes, it had come to war. Soon, nations would rise and stand to protect themselves, not from other nations, but from Madara and the Akatsuki itself… from Sasuke… Perhaps it was this that pained Naruto the most, knowing that the boy that was once his best friend was now literally at war with the rest of the world.

True, Kakashi had to admit that this was a long time coming. They should've seen it from miles away, but their determination to stop this before it got too bad led them blindly. They tried so hard, maybe too hard, to stop the Akatsuki themselves, that they never realized they stood a chance alone. Konoha could not stop Madara alone, yet it was not Konohagakure that finally stood up and declared war…

_Flashback~ Ryuuketsu –no… __**Sora**__ stood valiantly between the Konoha nins and the two Uchihas, one of his swords drawn and pointed at the two of them; the other held loosely in his other hand. With his unmoving figure and cold hard eyes, he was the true image of a Chimeiteki. _

"You can call me Sora."

Those were unexpected words to hear from the once famed Chimeiteki Ryuuketsu, yet only Naruto smiled. He was the only one to understand the meaning behind those words, as Sora declared that Ryuuketsu was dead…only Sora remained.

Madara was amused," Sora, eh?"

With hard blue eyes, and a glance to his foster sister, Kirei, Sora nodded. "You'd better remember it, Uchihas, for this won't be the last time you deal with us," he warned. Ignoring Sasuke's scoff, Sora continued, his voice growing louder with every sentence.

"Konoha was our Sakura's home; the village and the people within it were her entire world. Her friends; her family; they meant everything to her. And we will not let you destroy that! As long as our family; our village stands, you will not touch Konoha!"

As Madara regarded Sora with mild curiosity, feeling his intensity and wondering just what he had planned, Sasuke was not as amused.

"Just who are you to think you're a threat?"

Sora just smiled, a cold cruel smile," I did not say it would be just me. I'm not the only one you'll have to answer to on that day, Uchiha Sasuke. You've wronged me, my sister, Sakura-chan, everyone we ever loved. You challenge one of us, you challenge _all_ of us! With Konoha, stands _our_ village, **Nikoumyougakure**! The _village of second hope!" ~End Flashback_

_ 'The village Nikoumyou…'_ Kakashi mused to himself, marveling at the name Sora gave their once tiny village,_' A village of second chances, second hope, second glory. A place for redemption. A fitting title…'_

He glanced at Naruto's back and a small smile appeared under his mask. Sora was just like Naruto, and surely the day they fight together would be an interesting one. Now, he just couldn't wait to see what kind of people Sora will dig up for that battle.

…

Amidst the sense of worry Itachi felt upon seeing the destroyed forest of Konoha, he also felt an immense sense of pride. _'Perhaps Blossom isn't such an appropriate name for her,'_ he mused briefly, briefly inspecting the scene while hidden within the trees. The forest was torn to bits, quite literally, and the smell of blood and death hung heavy in the air. The old familiar scene of a battlefield made Itachi feel sick to his stomach, remembering the battlefields he was forced to see as a child. When combined with the thought of Sakura, the love of his life, being involved in such a gruesome battle, the fear and worry was almost overwhelming.

But when he surveyed the damaged caused by the fierce kunoichi, the proof of her ferocity amazed even him. And when he saw the ANBU shinobi cart off a body pulverized beyond recognition, his Sharingan quickly deduced that the body was much too large to be hers.

_'She's alive,'_ was the only thought running through his head and he couldn't have been more relieved. _'She's alive. She's alive. She's alive,'_ kept repeating in his head, even as he quickly made his retreat from the scene. Even as he began heading for the nearest town (for after a battle like that, she'd need medical supplies to heal herself, and would head for the nearest inconspicuous town) his thoughts were on just how close he was to seeing her again. So close, so near… and he had a promise to keep.

…

The sun had set hours ago, yet she saw still there, staring out into the horizon. It was entirely eery, how she could stand there for hours on end, unmoving and still, face never changing. They would peer out the doorway and windows at her, worried and concerned, yet nothing they said or did deterred her from her post.

_'She's too young to have that look on her face,'_ Tsuname thought dismally, her dark eyes filled with worry for the girl with dead blue eyes.

…

People would stop and wonder why she stood atop the highest building in town. At heights unimaginable, she would stand still, balancing precariously on the steel antenna of the radio tower. If one could get close enough to see her face, they would see tears running silently down her cheeks, even as she stared out over the horizon. Never once did she look up at the stars, but kept her eyes looking far away, as if waiting. Just hours before the dawn would rise, she stood there, her pink hair shining like a beacon.

…

**Flashback~ **_'Stay here,'_ Sora had said, placing her in the care of Tazuna and his family before setting out on the road again. Ignoring her cries to take her with him, her pleas to not leave again, Sora threw his cloak over his back and headed for the door. _'Stay safe,'_ he added quietly, his face calm and determined.

_'Nii-san!'_ she had screamed, falling to her knees in desperation. Tears ran down her face, even as she begged,_' Promise me… Promise you'll come back.'_

His answer came immediately,_' I will always come back, Kirei.'_ Turning back one last time, a small smile on his face, he promised her,_' I'm your big brother, don't you forget that. No matter where I came from, no matter where I go, I will always be your big brother and I will come back for you.'_

_'Wait for me,'_ were the last words he said.

…

He always liked high places, heights in which he could overlook his surrounding area, as if he could see the far corners of the earth. It was always the first place he went when he visited a new place, an old habit he couldn't break. But none of them ever tried to change it; it was something so minor, so mundane. But now, it was all she was relying on.

_**'He'll find us,'**_ the voice inside her head reassured quietly, _**'He'll know where we went and he'll come for us.'**_

Her eyes never strayed from the horizon, waiting for as long as she had to. _'I'll be the first thing he sees when he comes.'_

_**'And then he'll hold us again… we'll be together again…'**_

_'And I will never leave again.'_

…

So here she waited, staring into the ocean as if it had all the answers for her. Inari stepped up beside her, feeling so much older than he actually was when standing next to the tiny child.

"He promised, you know," he merely said, following her line of sight out onto the waters," He'll come back."

"I know," was her answer," Nii-san always keeps his promises."

"So what are you standing out here, waiting for?"

For such a little girl, the look on her face was scarily wise and thoughtful; much too old a face for such a young girl. "Nii-san said he's gonna have to fight again," she said quietly.

Inari could only nod," A war is about to begin. That's to be expected."

"But there's nothing I can do to help," finally, _finally_, she turned away from the horizon to look up at him, her voice cracking and her eyes full of tears.

"I can't do _anything_! Everyone is doing what they can to fight, but what can I do? I'm ten years old but all I can do is sit here and _wait_! What use am I?!"

She broke down crying, stomping her little foot in the process. Though Inari felt her frustration, a part of him was relieved to see her acting the way she _should_; as a ten year old girl. This was war they were talking about; something far too out of their reach and capacity. They shouldn't have to deal with this. _She_ shouldn't have to deal with this.

"Exactly," he told her," You're ten years old. Stop trying to grow up so fast. Stop trying to fight in a war that you're too young for. They're fighting for a reason Kirei: so you don't have to. So stop thinking that you have to."

A long moment passed as she thought over what he said. Then with a sniffle, she asked him," Do you know how my Mommy died?"

He shook his head. He never thought to ask, nor did he think he wanted to.

"She was killed by a bad man protecting Ryura. She couldn't fight, she couldn't stop him, but at least she died to save someone else. My mommy didn't just sit by and watch; she _did_ something."

"But she died," Inari, the ever pessimist, pointed out.

Kirei felt some more tears fall at that, remembering, but she swallowed down the lump in her throat and shook her head," My mommy would always say that the people we care about are our family and that family takes care of each other. That night we had to leave our home. Now all I have is my nii-san, Itachi-nii-san, and Doc-sensei. They're all I have."

"I don't want to see any of them die too," she said," I...I don't know what I'd do... So that's why I have to do something. I can't just sit by and watch, or else I could lose them…"

Inari couldn't say anything, nor could he even begin to think what to say. For so long, he was okay with standing on the sidelines, just giving up and thinking that there wasn't anything he could do. It took a huge reality check and a hit on the head from Naruto for him to see the truth. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing; he had to stand up somehow.

Kirei's already had her reality check, but she was still searching for a way to stand up. However, he couldn't help her, no matter how much he wanted to. She had to find a way to help fight her own way.

Until then, all he could do is stand right here next to her, waiting for her family to return…

…

_**'Do you remember that old saying?'**_

_'Which one?'_

_**' "That which doesn't kill me, makes me stronger,"?'**_

_'… what about it?'_

_**'Do you think we're stronger now?'**_

Sakura bit her lip at that one,_' I don't _feel_ stronger…'_

_**'But in a way, we kinda are. That bastard couldn't kill us; he couldn't break us.'**_

Sakura was silent.

_**'Heh, drove him crazy too. That we couldn't break. He may have taken everything from us, but he never got what he wanted.'**_

_'He didn't take everything from us.'_

_**'What do you mean?'**_

_'…He didn't take Itachi…' _

No, he didn't. No matter what happened, she would always have Itachi to return to, to love and to hold. She loved him, and not even Doro could take that away. No one could.

"Itachi…" she whispered into the night, as if her voice could reach across the miles. That maybe, in some other world, he would be right there next to her.

To Sakura's credit, Itachi was a pure prodigy and genius, so it came as no surprise that she would never sense him approaching, no matter how hard she tried. The man was simply undetectable.

"Yes, my lady?"

Later, Sakura would swear that her heart had literally skipped a beat, then it thumped against her ribcage the strongest it ever had. Heart beating hard, she looked down to see him on the radio tower platform, his irresistible smirk on his lips:

Itachi, her knight in shining armour, her sarcastic son of a gun that thought entirely too much of himself, her infuriatingly handsome but equally introverted prodigy, but most importantly…

…_hers._

Before she knew it, he had her wrapped up in his arms, arms of steel locking around her small frame like a security blanket. She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_, but he cut her off with a kiss.

Never before had she been kissed like this, and every part of her found her liking it. It was tender and gentle, but persistent and passionate, just like him. As he carefully cradled her head in his hand, he swept away all her fears as they lost themselves in each other. In this kiss, she could feel everything he couldn't articulate. His fear and worry, his relief and exhaustion, his affection and love.

Oh Kami, how she could feel his love. The tender hand that supported her head, every brush of his tongue, the way he closed his eyes, it was clear that this was entire world right now. That _she_ was his entire world.

As he pulled away, satisfied that she now understood just how much he missed her, she blinked up at him. "Itachi…" she was at a loss for words," You…"

"Shh," he quieted her, leaning his forehead against hers," Before you say anything, there's something I have to tell you. Something I should've said a long time ago and I want to say it while I have the chance."

Brushing his lips against hers in a sweet kiss, he whispered," I love you."

For the first time in days, her tears were tears of joy and love, as she smiled against his chapped lips. At last, she could admit her love and _know_ that it was returned. He loved her. _He loved her!_

"Itachi-kun," she smiled and cried at the same time," I love you too."

"I know," was all he said before he pulled her close and they were lost to their kisses again.

…

The next day, Inari found Kirei practicing with his crossbow.

…

**AN: I'm quite proud of this chapter. I'm sorry for the lateness in all my stories; not only have I had the longest and worst writer's block of my life, but I've been incredibly busy as a new mother. (Baby girl born Jan 20****th****!) Have you ever tried writing a dark tragic romance while in a state of constant euphoria? Let me tell you, it's hard. **

** Back to the story, I'm totally happy with this chapter. After the last one, I needed a way to get past that entire situation and back to our favorite couple. And yay! Now no more tip toeing around the other, wondering if they really love each other and it's not just a passing fancy. Their love is true, believe it!**

**I especially like how I drifted back and forth between Sakura and Kirei. I just love the dynamic that Kirei gives off. She's only ten and such a little girl, but she's got such heart and soul, and she's only trying to find her place in the world.  
**


	24. The Lovers

**AN: As promised, the newest chapter to add to 'One Thing In Common'. I hope you all love it, I know I do! The inspiration for many lines in this chapter are from various songs, namely _'Endlessly'_ by Green Ordinance River; _'I Don't Want to Lose You'_ by Jamestown Story; and _'Lost in the World'_ also by Green Ordinance River**

**...**

_'I love this girl,'_ was the only thing he could think as he watched her breathe evenly in her sleep. He could not begin to express any other way how it felt to hold her in his arms, holding her and knowing that she loved him back. Itachi could now breathe in peace as he laid upon that tiny hotel bed, his head resting on his arm while the other played with Sakura's hair. She was so tired and would not sleep until he was there, and though she fell asleep so soon after he found her, it did nothing to diminish his happiness. Instead, he laid down beside her, whispering promises to protect her sleep until her breathing evened out. Long after that, he could not follow her into sleep and could only look at her, wondering what he had done to deserve such a woman.

_'One day, we'll be happy,'_ he promised her, kissing her forehead. This was had done too much to them and their loved ones, leaving them without home or faith. So Itachi vowed that he would make it better for them one day. With that thought, he closed his eyes and waited for Sakura to wake up.

...

"Tell me a secret," she whispered quietly, her eyes focused on her own fingers picking at a string in Itachi's shirt. A whole day passed and they haven't left this room, ordering room service when needed and talking about nonsense. It was a quiet, perfect little world in where it was just her and Itachi and the outside world didn't exist. Sakura clung to this moment, to this day, knowing that soon she would have to go out and face the outside world again. But for now, she didn't want to. She just wanted to stay here with Itachi, where everything was perfect and nothing bad ever happened to her. Itachi was here; everything would be better now.

Rather than question her strange request, Itachi replied almost as quietly," I know many secrets." While Sakura was watching her fingers, Itachi watched _her_, nestled into the crook of his arm and huddled against his chest. Her leg was draped over his own and a part of him loved how she clung to him like a teddy bear. Like he was her safety net, her sense of security.

"One of _your_ secrets," she clarified. He rubbed her arm," I have a secret love for sweets." He thought that might get a chuckle out of her, but not so much as a smile.

"What's you're favorite?"

"It's a toss up between apple pie and dango," he answered truthfully. Sakura cuddled closer to him (if that was even possible) and said," Really? I'll have to make you some one day."

He smiled," I would like that."

"Tell me another one."

"In the valley where my brother and I fought, I placed a fake gravestone where I had fallen."

"Why?"

He shrugged," To make the world believe I was dead. It was something I felt you would've done if I had really died that day, so I did. As a last farewell to my brother."

She thought for a moment, then said quietly," I suppose you're right. Uchiha Itachi _did_ die that day... And now you're just Itachi."

"Now," he kissed the top of her head," I'm just Itachi."

"Tell me another secret?"

"I'm almost blind."

However, she was surprised at this bit of news. "It's from your Sharingan, isn't it?" she mused," Kaka-sensei had the same problem too. It took Shishou and I months to find a technique to reverse the damage."

A jolt of hope and trepidation shot through Itachi, but he kept his voice under iron tight control. "Did you now?" he mused back, a hint of question giving his voice a lilt. Recognizing the questioning tone, Sakura told him," I can heal you too, Itachi. All you have to do is ask me to."

As relief swept through him and hope for new eyesight blossomed, Itachi smiled and nuzzled into her hair," I'll keep that in mind."

"Another secret?" she was almost cute in the way she asked him so innocently, like a child asking for candy.

Unable to deny her any wish of hers, Itachi obliged," Did you know that Sora and I used to know each other years ago?"

But to his chagrin, this little secret that he'd been carrying with him for so long did not spark her interest. "I know. Sora told me a long time ago that he used to be a rogue samurai. You were Black Ops ANBU. I'm sure you two crossed paths now and then."

"Not just 'now and then'," he corrected her," Believe it or not, but Sora used to be my arch rival. I chased him for years, trying to beat him and bring him to justice. Back then, his name was not Sora. He used to be Chimeiteki Ryuuketsu."

"Really?" she raised her head and Itachi was elated to see an expression of surprise on her face," _The_ Chimeiteki Ryuuketsu? I read about him while archiving the Hokage's files. I heard he was an enemy of the Uchiha Clan, and rival with one in particular. The two of them were equals in skill, one unable to beat the other, especially since Ryuuketsu was immune to the Sharingan's effects. _That was you and Sora?"_

Itachi nodded," Per Chimeiteki tradition, a seal was placed on his chakra reserves, canceling them out completely to negate any visibility to Byakugan and Sharingan. An additional seal was placed to hide the first one. I was the only Uchiha who could fight him as an equal, even though I had to depend entirely on Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Over time, it became our identities."

"What happened?" she questioned.

He could only shrug,"One day, I realized that what we were doing wasn't right, that we were children still and shouldn't have to live, trying to kill the other. So the next time I saw him, we fought, as usual. But I was older, had more experience then, and for the first time... I defeated him..."

"What then?"

"...I let him go. I could've brought him back to Konoha, and it would've been the end there. But I didn't. I told him to leave Kiri, to find a new home, and start over. I told my father that I killed him, and I never saw Ryuuketsu again."

"But in the village," she frowned," you two acted like you didn't even know each other. If you let him go, why weren't you friends? You two _hated_ each other."

Itachi had thought long and hard about that very same thing, and the only thing he could come up with was," We grew up. We're not the kids we used to be, and life isn't that simple anymore. It's not just 'kill or be killed' like it was before. For so long, he was the criminal, hiding and terrorizing the Uchiha. And I was the obedient son, hunting down rogues and doing every duty possible to my clan."

"When we saw each other next in that village, our roles had switched. I wasn't the good guy anymore, protecting my village. Sora was. He wasn't the rogue or S-ranked criminal, that was me. In Sora's eyes, I wasn't the same person he knew before. For someone to have turned his back on his village, to kill his own family when he spared the life of his enemy... I don't blame him for hating me."

Sakura shook her head," That's not you, Itachi. The person who did those things all that time ago, he doesn't exist anymore. That person you used to be, that kid that would save the life of someone else, _that's_ you. You're the good guy again, just like you always wanted to be. You can't let what happened shape your future. You can't let it shape you."

His eyes bored into her own, full of doubt and repressed guilt, but she stared back just as hard, determined to make him see. When neither backed down, he asked quietly," Would you like to know the truth? Of what really happened eight years ago?"

It was the moment she had been waiting months for. The moment when Itachi trusted her enough to tell her his darkest secret. Yet when it came to it, she found that it didn't really matter. Knowing what happened so long ago wouldn't change anything today. He was still her Itachi and she still loved him.

Would it change anything? Would it even matter if she knew?

So she shook her head," No, I don't need to. The past is the past Itachi, and I accept that. I love you for who you are now, and I don't care what happened eight years ago."

A rare smile lit upon his face and he leaned forward to brush against her lips," I love you."

"I love you too," she returned his kiss, then settled back down on his chest," So what else have you been hiding from me?"

He smirked and teased her," I do not hide anything from you."

"Oh yeah? Then tell me another secret."

"When I first saw you, I thought my brother a fool for walking away from such a pretty girl. Even more so when I heard you took out Sasori."

"Another."

"That day in the gorge, I really did plan on dying. I wasn't supposed to live. But then _you_ came and it stopped me from just fading away. I heard your voice and a part of me wondered why _you_, a medic-nin and my brother's teammate, showed up. Then I realized, it wasn't just coincidence. It was fate. So I decided to put my life in your hands and from there, I would take this second chance I'd been given."

"Talk anymore about fate and you'll start to sound like Neji."

He decided not to reply to that quib and continued," Sometimes I think about finding my brother. I think about telling him the truth and stopping him from going down this path he's chosen."

"Why don't you? You're his big brother; he'd listen to you."

He shook his head," It's because I know he will not that I don't. I know Sasuke... he's stubborn and prideful and still a child. He won't listen to anyone until he's good and ready, even if it's me. I'm the one who pushed him down this path; it's my fault and if I try to change him now, I'll only push him further."

Sakura thought on his words for a moment, knowing them to be true. She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of Itachi and relaxed a little bit more. "You're actually a pretty good big brother, Itachi," she said.

He disagreed," No, I'm not. I let my brother become a nuke-nin. I killed our parents. And now, I don't want to stop him for entirely selfish reasons."

"And what are your 'selfish reasons'?"

"You."

She raised one eyebrow," Me? I'm not stopping you." Itachi smiled a tender smile and nuzzled into her hair," No, you aren't. And I love you all the more for it." Sakura felt her heart flutter just to hear him say the word 'love' even though it was not the first time. "You are my light, my entire reason for living now," he continued," Because you love me for me. You don't want to use me. You don't push me to do anything. You don't care about all the evil things I've done or the mistakes I've made. And at the end of the day, I know you'll still love me and will be waiting for me. If I were to get involved in this war, I'd just get dragged back in and surely I'd lose you. I've paid my dues. I've given enough of myself to Konoha, to Sasuke. Now, I give everything that's left to you."

He looked up to gauge her reaction to his words, both hopeful and fearful. What he saw were tears on her beloved's cheeks, but a contradictory smile on her beautiful lips. "I love you," was the only thing she could choke out. A lump blocked her throat and though she tried to swallow it down, she could not force down the emotions of love and devotion and affection. Her love for him shone in her eyes and his shone the same way.

"I love you," she repeated, reaching up to caress his lips with her own. "Everything," her lips were a mere brush against his own," you are, I love it. You are my hero, my best friend, my idol, my Itachi." He closed his eyes with a small smile playing on his mouth, enjoying the affections she was raining down on him.

"You are such a closet romantic," she kissed his nose. "You never give up even when you've lost hope," she kissed his cheek. "You push others to do their best," she kissed his other cheek. "You cling to moments of happiness when you have the chance," she kissed his eyelid. "You enjoy the little things," she kissed his other eyelid. "And though you think you're a terrible brother, I know one day you'll make a wonderful father," she kissed his forehead and his eyes flew open. Doubt began to fill his eyes, disagreeing with that statement, but she silenced him with a kiss on the lips.

"I love you," was all he said then, reaching a hand up to gently stroke her cheek. She reciprocated his kiss with more fervor, pushing forward to express her love. A small hand wove its way into his hair and tickled the nape of his neck. With this other hand, Itachi pulled her closer, cradling her on top of him while his lips explored the spanse of her face.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, kissing her chin like a delicate rose," What have I done to deserve you?"

All she had to say was," I'm all yours. For as long as you'll have me."

"No," he corrected her," I'm _yours_. For as long as _you'll_ have _me_. But I will never stop loving you." He caressed the pulse on her neck with his lips in silent promise.

"Forever and ever?" she asked, sighing softly.

"To the end of time," he promised.

Closing her eyes and swallowing any doubts or hesitations she had left, Sakura whispered," Then make me yours. Make love to me, Itachi-kun."

His startled eyes flew up to hers, shock and near-instant refusal on his lips, but all that came out was," What?"

Boring her eyes into his, she repeated," Make love to me. I love you."

"But," he whispered, stunned," You... I don't want to hurt you. You need more time to heal. Are you sure you'll be okay to-...?" A myriad of reasons flew across his mind and out his mouth, most of which concerning all the suffering she had at Doro's hands. Surely she wasn't ready. Surely anything he did now would only remind her of _him_. Itachi had thought it a miracle she could even stand to lay in his arms!

"I'm alright," she reassured him with a soft smile," I know I'm safe as long as I'm with you. When we go back to the real world, the only arms I want to remember are _yours, _Itachi-kun."

His dark eyes searched hers for any sign of hesitation. When he found none, he asked," Isn't it too soon? Considering...?"

She shook her head. "As long as it's you, I'll be happy," she told him," Please," she leaned down and kissed him tenderly; he moaned lightly at the sensation, imagining her kisses while in the throes of passion," let me have this. Let me have this night with you."

He gazed at her with a deep intensity, still in awe of this amazing woman that was all his. "I'm yours," he told her," You can have as many nights as you want. As long as it's what you want."

"You," she reached for the hem of his shirt," are what I want."

No more was said as he obliged her request and removed his shirt. Immediately, her small and delicate fingers splayed out against his bare skin, exploring. Itachi felt his skin warming as her hand danced over his chest, exploring every muscled line, every scar, every inch. Never before had he thought much of the scars riddling his body, but now as he was bared before her, he wondered what she thought of his damaged flesh. But if it bothered her, she hid it well, as she kissed him slowly, ever so slowly making him forget everything else.

She kissed him with such tenderness, that when he kissed her back, a part of him feared he might break her. So he let her lead, going at her whatever pace she cared for. Even if she changed her mind at the last minute, he would let her. He was careful in his touches, not wanting to remind her of anything Doro did. So he limited his touching to just her face and hands, both of which he kissed affectionately. When he saw the scars in her palms, he kissed them lightly, as if to ease the pain from their memory. She gasped lightly, but did not pull away.

Pushing his luck, Itachi continued his kisses to the inside of her wrists. He felt her blood racing in the pulse beneath his lips. Without him even realizing it, one of his hands reached for the zipper of her own shirt. She flinched violently and immediately he withdrew his hands and lips. Fear skittered across his features while shame and embarrassment covered hers. Realizing he did something wrong, Itachi quickly apologized, but she would hear none of it.

"I want this," she reassured him," I was just surprised is all."

He eyed her doubtfully, but obliged. "You do it," he told her," So you're comfortable. I won't touch you or your clothes until you give me permission." She accepted this with a nod, and she felt so happy to have someone like him. This was so hard for her, but she wanted it more than anything. A part of her couldn't believe just how understanding Itachi was, but it made her love him all the more for it. Feeling more confident, she reached for the zipper of her own shirt, never taking her eyes off of him.

In a matter of seconds, her shirt laid on the floor, followed by her bindings. In the brief moment while available, she felt him staring at her intensely, as if trying to imprint the image into his memory forever. Feeling very vulnerable, but not wanting to cover herself, Sakura lowered herself to his chest. His skin felt so warm against her bare breasts and both of them moaned at the contact. With a gentle hand, he guided her face to his, kissing her with renewed fervor. "So beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

It lent her strength and confidence, his words and honest awe. Enough to continue to take his hand and guide it to her breast. When he hesitated, she simply said," Don't worry. I have no bad memories here." It was all he needed and his large hands cupped her softly. In sync with his kisses, he stroked her skin with the palm of his hand. When he lightly pinched a nipple, she gasped into his mouth, a low keening noise in the back of her throat.

Intrigued by the sound, he tweaked the nipple and earned a sort of pleading whimper. Confidence building, he played with her breasts, finding new and pleasing ways to excite her. Sounds ranging from light gasps to whimpers for more spilled out of her lips, all of which he rewarded with more.

Breaking away from her mouth, he eyed her bosom, tips now hard little nubs between his thumb and fingers. "May I?" he asked and she nodded, unable to speak. It was good enough for him, and he pushed her up until her targets hung in front of his face. While still playing with one nub in his fingers, his mouth latched onto the other.

She groaned at the contact, shivers of pleasure running up and down her spine. Heat that hadn't felt in years flooded her lower body, coiling in her stomach like a spring. Whatever he was doing with his teeth and tongue, she prayed he would never stop.

"Itachi..." she breathed his name," Itachi..."

Spurred on by her sighs, he suckled her gently. The heat continued to rise and she had to do something to alleviate the pressure. Unbidden, she rolled her hips against his, feeling something hard and hot rub perfectly against her centre. She moaned at the sensation while he broke away from her breast completely. He threw his head back and a loud, almost pained groan escaped his mouth. His hands shot down to halt her hips.

Even against his hands, she repeated the action and his eyes squeezed tight in pleasure. The angle on her center felt so perfect and she did it one more time. "Sakura," Itachi groaned. Unable to stop himself, he gripped her thighs and rolled his pelvis against hers, hard. Yet when he realized what he had just done, his eyes flew wide open in shock. He pulled away instantly, spouting out apologies, but stopped short when she moaned in pleasure.

"Itachi-kun..." her eyes were clouded with bliss, rolling against him in such a delicious way that it awed them both," Please... don't stop." To accentuate her plea, her hands scrambled at his belt. She successfully got it undone, much to his pleasure and unzipped his pants. When she leaned down to kiss him on the lips, he helpfully lifted his hips so she could pull his pants down to his knees, dragging her boxers along. Itachi hissed as the cold air hit his hot skin, but the feel of his rock hard erection finally free from its confines far surpassed any discomfort. He faltered, almost completely, in kicking his pants off all the way when her little fingers danced across the skin of his cock.

Her touch was light and exploratory, but felt so amazing that he could only lay back and enjoy it. Pre cum leaked out the top, which she spread with her questing digits. She never fully grasped him, but he was okay with that. What she was doing was a wonderful tease and he honestly couldn't ever remember feeling this turned on.

His own fingertips skimmed the edges of her skirt. But before he could even ask, she took matters into her own hands and unzipped it for him. Shoving the fabric down her legs, she pressed against him, eager to feel skin on skin.

Both were elated by the feeling, lost in their euphoria and in each other. The hard flesh of his erection nestled so neatly between her legs, her netherlips pressed against the top and rubbing in a sinful way. It took all of his control not to move as he felt her juices covering him and making the friction get so much more spectacular. But he would let her go her own pace, as he promised. Even if it killed him, which it was very close to doing.

Fortunately, she did not pull away as he feared, and continued to grind against him. Both verbally expressed their pleasure in little moans and gasps, seeking each other's lips. His hands rose to her breasts again, to which she hummed her pleasure.

All too soon yet felt like forever, he felt her nudging her entrance against his tip, pressing but never fully impaling him. He looked at her one last time in questionment, as if to ask if she was ready. She answered him by silently pushing even further until the head breached her walls.

It was so shallow and not near enough, but already he felt like he could burst. The sensation was _incredible._

Sakura was in the clouds when she felt the head of Itachi's cock slide into her. Such a small step, yet she couldn't remember ever feeling this _good_. Wanting to feel more, she rocked back and forth, working him even deeper into her. Her eyes fluttered closed in euphoria, as did his. She threw her head back and cried in a soft "Aah!" when she felt the hilt of his cock press snugly against her groin. He was nestled so deeply within her, making her feel so full, burning so hotly that she felt like she was melting.

And maybe she was melting. She felt like she was dissolving into a puddle of pure bliss, just like everything but this moment melted away. He just felt so _good_, and so _perfect_ when they were connected like this, and she could feel the pieces of her heart regrow into something new and special just for him.

Even when she moved and rocked against him, pulling away from him then sinking back down, she felt like her heart was bursting. _'He makes me happy,'_ came unbidden to mind and she knew those words to be true. When Itachi's arms wrapped around her, when he kissed every inch of her he could reach, when he thrust up into her that she cried out, she knew that she could never be happier than in this moment. Everything about him made her happy and she knew that she could never live without him.

"I love you," Itachi spoke at that moment in a rough voice, so overcome by emotion that it sounded lower than usual," I don't know what I'd do without you. I'll make you happy, I promise, even if it takes me the rest of my life." He pulled back to look her in the eyes, not once stopping as he thrust up into her. "I would give you the world," he told her," One day, if not now. But I _will_ make you happy."

At his words and his hands slamming her hips down on his, so much joy filled her heart that it overcame her. Tears burst forth at the same time as her orgasm ripped through her and she cried out loudly, screaming his name. Her muscles clenched tightly around him, that though alarmed by her tears, Itachi followed her into sweet oblivion. Lights exploded behind her eyes as she felt it rocket through, just like his essence spilled into her.

Still crying, she slumped down against him, burying her nose into the crook between his shoulder and neck. His arms came up to wrap around her shoulders and once he caught his breath, he said quietly," You're crying."

She smiled into his neck, sure that he could feel it. "I'm just so happy," she confessed," You don't have to worry about 'one day'... _You_ already make me happy. Just you, being here with me." He was silent, but he must have understood when he squeezed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

A while later, after they cleaned up and they laid beneath the sheets, naked and holding each other close, Itachi confessed one last thing. "I have one more secret," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she hummed.

Stroking the bare skin on her shoulder, he admitted," I've loved you since that day you saved me."

(She smiled,_' Kami, I love this man.'_)

...

**AN: Okay, there are two things I'd like to address at the conclusion of this chapter (which is by far my most favorite. *wink* *wink*)**

**The inspiration for this chapter actually came from my own husband. He has recently left for deployment and our 4 month old baby and I miss him very much. Writing a chapter based on love and affection was my way of feeling closer to him, and I can fully understand the love between Sakura and Itachi. **

**Second, I was a bit hesitant with writing this chapter so soon after what happened with Doro. No one's certain how someone reacts after a rape, but it's different for everyone. For Sakura, it was about finding comfort in Itachi's arms and replacing the bad memories with good ones. If I'm too presumptous in this assuming, I apologize and please just let me know if I've offended you. **


End file.
